The Will Of Fire
by KakashiKrazed
Summary: Sequel to The Sixth Hokage.Just what has Kakashi gotten himself into?He knew it wouldn't be easy...nothing he does ever is...but can the Will of Fire be enough when friends' lives are held in the balance and the one he's meant to save is out to kill him?
1. And So It Begins

Chapter 1

And So It Begins

Kakashi stood at the entrance to the cave and watched the rain pour down. The torrential downpour had started two days after he and his team had set foot into Rain Country, and it became obvious rather quickly that this was not a normal rain storm. For starters, it hadn't let up in twelve days now...and no matter what they had done to hide their presence, the enemy shinobi managed to find them and attack...usually at the most inopportune times. So now, his hand-picked ten-man team was holed up in a dark and dank cave, counting the moments until the enemy tracked them down once more.

Kakashi frowned. It wasn't supposed to go this way. When they had left Konoha three months earlier, it had been with the intention of tracking down the Akatsuki and ending their existence once and for all. He had promised himself, and all those who'd been injured or killed over the course of the last year, that his main mission as Sixth Hokage would be to remove the threats to Konoha...starting with the Akatsuki. He shook his head at his own stupidity...he should have realized it wouldn't be so easy.

Kakashi turned away from the opening to take a good look at the group of Konoha shinobi who had foolishly followed his lead. The team was split into two distinct groups...the older shinobi, and the members of the younger generation. The older contingent – consisting of Raido, Aoba and Genma – were against the far right wall – took the moment of quiet for what it was, and rested while they could. Against the left wall, the remaining members of the team sat talking quietly to each other – somehow unable to relax during this lull in their mission. Shikamaru was leaning against the wall with his arms crossed, while Ino was fiddling with her long blond ponytail – her eyes firmly fixed on the third member of her team, Choji. Sakura was bending over Choji while her hands glowed softly with her healing chakra, and she tried to reverse the damage done to the young man in the last attack. Meanwhile, Kiba had his face buried in his battle hound, Akamaru's, thick white fur – clearly distraught, while Neji sat with his back pressed against the cold stone wall...his dark hair fading into the shadows, while he kept a watchful eye on all his friends.

This had been yet another failed attempt to reduce the numbers of the Akatsuki...and worse yet...this time three members of his team were injured. Kakashi wondered if Minato-sensei ever felt this useless when he was Hokage. He shook his head, trying to remove that thought from his mind...it wouldn't help if he started doubting his actions...or his purpose. After all, every one of these shinobi were well trained and perfectly capable members of Konoha.

Neji Hyuga walked up to join him. The younger man's white eyes were never easy to read, but Kakashi had learned to tell quite a bit from the other subtle signals of the man's movements over the course of their adventure. For instance, at the moment...with Neji's head cocked to the left ever-so-slightly, and his lids fully exposing his blank eyes...Kakashi knew it was time to have his chakra network released and reset. This was probably the only thing about the mission that he simply couldn't get used to. Having those sharp blows along his arm and shoulder multiple times a day was truly becoming an issue.

Still, it's purpose couldn't be faulted. Because of Neji's treatments, the Akatsuki could no longer use their porcelain ring to control him as their tool...and with a slight adjustment to the chakra point blows, they'd even found a way to block the Akatsuki's Leader from pinpointing his exact location anymore. Of course, that also meant he couldn't use that same link to track the Akatsuki down. But regardless, the areas which needed to be hit by Neji were starting to react in their own way to the constant abuse. There were deep bruises at every point he struck, and even with the combined efforts of Sakura and Ino's healing abilities, the areas were never completely without some level of pain.

Kakashi sighed and turned to face the Hyuga jonin. "Let's get it over with."

Neji bowed his head slightly and activated his Byakugan, the veins around his eyes swelling in an instant. "Yes, Lord Hokage."

Kakashi cringed at his response. You'd think that by now he'd have gotten used to the title...but those words still brought visions of the Third, Fourth and Fifth Hokages to his mind, making Kakashi feel less than worthy of the position. He stood perfectly still while the first series of blows were delivered. The flow of chakra released back into his right arm felt as though that arm was dipped into an icy-cold river of water, but before he could feel more than a bit of that discomfort, Neji's fingertips struck Kakashi again – sealing the flow off once more.

Kakashi flexed his fingers and grunted a bit at the uncomfortable sensation left behind, but he knew it was a thousand percent better than the feeling of having his chakra bottleneck within his body – like it had once before. He glanced down at the porcelain ring still seared into place on his finger – the character marking him as the Akatsuki's tool standing out plainly on its face – and clenched his hand into a fist. Without Neji's treatments, he knew the agony he had once felt from the Akatsuki's connection to him through the ring would be restored and render him useless.

Pushing those thoughts away, Kakashi shifted his attention back to the young man at his side. "Neji – before you deactivate your Byakugan, tell me what you see outside."

"Outside, Hokage?"

Kakashi rubbed the back of his neck and met the young man's confused gaze with his mismatched eyes. "There's something out there, Neji...in the rain...and my sharingan can't quite catch it...but it's there."

Neji looked surprised at Kakashi's confession that his sharingan, which he'd been gifted with so long ago, might miss something. But, considering he'd almost lost the eye less than six months back, he knew his skill with it was far from where it once was. It was continuing to get better...but the eye tended to wear on him more than before, and his ability to track movements was still slower than it once was. The Mangekyo ability that once helped him send his comrades far from the Akatsuki's grasp was not an option for him in the eyes current state...and he was starting to doubt if it ever would be again.

He watched Neji do as he asked without another word, and paid careful attention to the Hyuga's body language as he looked out into the pouring rain. As expected, Neji's eyes widened and his neck muscles tensed before he deactivated his eyes and faced Kakashi once more.

"Your instincts have proven correct once more, Hokage. The rain is infused with chakra. The levels are very low – barely perceptible unless you are specifically looking for it. How did you know?"

Kakashi sighed, crossed his arms and leaned casually against the cave wall. "I figured there had to be a reason we were getting tracked so easily over the past several days. And the only thing that had changed since the previous days was the presence of this rain."

Neji tipped his head to the side and he narrowed his eyes. "That was why you used the Earth jutsu to bring us into this cave from below, rather than have us walk straight to it."

Kakashi shrugged. "Yup."

Neji turned to face outside once more. "It may be troublesome, but we can't stay here too much longer."

Kakashi grinned at how the young man's mind was already thinking multiple steps ahead. "Careful Neji...you're starting to sound like Shikamaru."

Neji met his eyes and shrugged. "I can think of worse things, Hokage."

Kakashi had to agree with that. "Eventually our absence in the rain will bring search teams from the Akatsuki – so you are correct, Neji...we need to move."

He watched Neji shift his attention to the rest of the group. "They may not be ready?"

Kakashi followed his gaze and saw he was referring to the three injured members of their team. He sighed again. "They're going to have to be. We can't afford to stay here much longer."

Kakashi noticed that Sakura looked up from what she was doing and he met her eyes. The pink-haired kunoichi acknowledged him with a nod and then pushed herself to her feet. She crossed to his side...a slight frown gracing her lips.

"Kakashi-sensei, we've done all we can for now, but Choji needs some serious nourishment soon if he's going to have a chance at a full recovery. Soldier Pills and nutrient bars won't do it for him."

Kakashi frowned. He'd never expected the young man to need to use quite so much of his energy in that last battle. But considering Choji's teammates, Shikamaru and Ino, were being threatened by Deidara's clay bombs, Kakashi should have known better.

It had seemed like the logical choice to bring the Ino-Shika-Cho trio on this mission, but it was becoming obvious that Choji had the same narrow-minded view as Shikamaru when it came to protecting his precious people. A theory which was proven when the fool took one of his clan's chakra pills to gain the necessary strength to wipe out the threat...absorbing the damage from the clay bombs and protecting Ino and Shikamaru from the explosion.

Kakashi rubbed the back of his neck. "What about the others?"

Sakura's mouth turned up into a small smile. "Genma's arm took to the healing well. He'll just be a little sore for a few days."

Kakashi nodded his head at that information. Served the fool right for thinking he could take on Aigaki's duplicates on his own. At least the Akatsuki's youngest member was no longer able to create eighteen of the deadly duplicates...so far they'd only seen him manage four.

"What about Kiba, Sakura?"

The medic-ninja let out a deep breath and shifted her eyes over to where Kiba was lying with his bandaged head on Akamaru's side. "He'll heal physically...but he keeps blaming himself for that last ambush. He told me he couldn't believe he and Akamaru failed to smell the enemy at all."

Kakashi shook his head. What was it about the infamous 'Rookie-nine' that made each of them bound and determined to take blame for things that were never in their control? His sharingan eye chose that exact moment to throb painfully...likely it was Obito's way to tell him that they sounded a lot like a certain pig-headed Hokage. Kakashi smiled to himself at that thought.

"Send Kiba over here. I need to talk to him."

Sakura nodded once and went to fetch the Inuzuka teen. He watched the young man snap his head up when Sakura told him to go to the front of the cave, and Kakashi couldn't help compare the reaction to one of his own hounds when they were about to be scolded.

Kakashi frowned. He still hadn't completely accepted the fact that he had lost three of his nin-hounds to the Akatsuki's attack six months ago...along with Ibiki Morino, and far too many other comrades from the ANBU. Their loss was one of the driving factors to this current mission. He had to do something to keep any more of his precious people from dying at the Akatsuki's hands. And he had to keep them from using him to kill Naruto to get to the Kyuubi...no matter what.

His resolve firmly set once more, Kakashi waited for Kiba and Akamaru to join him. Neji moved to leave them alone once the pair arrived, but the Hyuga was stilled by one movement of Kakashi's hand.

Kakashi cut straight to the point. "Kiba, it's time you stop blaming yourself."

He watched the young man's shoulders hunch, and when Kiba lifted his head to meet Kakashi's eyes, the guilt was plain in his gaze. "But Hokage...there's no one else to blame. We failed to scent even _one_ of the enemy...and now Choji and Genma are injured because of it!"

Kakashi sighed and tilted his head toward Neji. The Hyuga understood the motion for what it was, and took over the conversation. "Kiba, the Hokage is correct when he said to stop blaming yourself. No one – not even in the entire Inuzuka clan – could have picked up a scent in this particular rain."

Kiba spun toward the dark-haired jonin...anger clear in his glare, and in the snarl curling his lips. "What the hell would _you_ know about it, Neji? You're a _seer_ – not a smeller. You can't know what my clan is capable of...and you can't begin to understand what this failure means."

Kakashi was impressed when Neji's only reaction to Kiba's verbal attack was for him to raise one eyebrow. "That may be true Kiba...but I _do_ know enough about what you do to know that chakra-laced rain is likely going to hide even the strongest odor."

Kiba looked like he was about to argue again, when he frowned and glanced out into the storm instead. He narrowed his eyes, walked over to the opening and tentatively sniffed at the air...then he turned back toward the inner stretch of the cave and sniffed again. His eyes went wide.

Kakashi chuckled lightly. "Like I was saying, Kiba...it's time you stop blaming yourself. Even your mother wouldn't have been able to scent that ambush. Am I clear?"

Kiba turned back to face Kakashi and slid one hand into Akamaru's fur at the dog's neck. "Clear as freshly spilled blood, Hokage."

Kakashi grinned at the Inuzuka's choice of comparison...glad to see he understood. "Good – now go help Sakura and the others. I want the group ready to leave within the hour."

Kiba grinned wide enough to bare his pointed canines. "You've got it, Boss!"

Kakashi grimaced at the newly bestowed title, even as Kiba and Akamaru joined the others. Neji's quiet voice next to him gave him something to focus on. "How do you propose we avoid the rain this time, Hokage?"

Kakashi's mask was firmly in place over the lower half of his face, so he allowed his eyes to curve in a way that he knew Neji would read as a smile. "I don't plan to avoid it Neji. No – this time we'll be waiting for the bastards to show up. It's high time we reminded these fools just why it's unwise to cross Konoha shinobi."

-- --

* * *

Itachi watched the Leader as he stared out into the driving rain. The red-haired man had stood there, unmoving, for the last four hours. Itachi knew he was trying to locate some trace of Kakashi Hatake and his band of Konoha shinobi within the net of chakra-laced rain, and was more than a bit upset that the Sixth Hokage was nowhere to be found.

The Leader turned toward him – his black and white ringed eyes boring into him with such an intense stare that Itachi had to keep himself from trembling at the sight of it. Itachi bowed his head in respect before presuming to speak.

"Leader, Zetsu has returned from evaluating the location of the last encounter with Kakashi Hatake and the others."

The Leader narrowed his gaze. "And?"

Itachi met the man's eyes steadily. "He tasted three distinct blood types amidst the ground samples."

This caught the man's attention, and Itachi noticed the Leader's mouth twitch slightly. "Was Hatake among the samples?"

"No. The blood came from three other shinobi. Zetsu claims one is an Inuzuka, while the other two are barely noteworthy at all...tasting sour to his tongue."

"Heh...Zetsu's taste buds are seldom wrong. So Kakashi has once again managed to slip through our grasp. This is becoming a pattern which I would prefer we end in the near future. Mishobi has located the six-tailed jinchuriki, and we will need to at least neutralize the Hokage's potential threat in order to perform the extraction jutsu without fear of interruption."

Itachi watched the Leader turn back toward the rain – evidently finished with their discussion. Itachi frowned and turned to leave, but he froze to the spot when the Leader's words reached his ears.

"One more thing, Itachi. I will not accept it should you _disappear_ again during our next encounter with Kakashi Hatake. Do you understand?"

Itachi cringed inwardly. He had managed to be elsewhere during the last three battles with the Leaf Shinobi, and he'd known the Leader would eventually call him on it. "I understand, Leader."

With that, Itachi returned to the inner rooms of the Akatsuki's Rain Village headquarters. Although the interior rooms were much better equipped than most of their hideouts, Itachi would never get used to the constant rain. He'd never been particularly fond of getting wet – and every inch of this place smelled musty to him. Still, the rain did allow the Leader to detect most movement within its reach, so it was one of the most secure locations the Akatsuki had.

Itachi sneezed...another unfortunate reaction to the constant cold rain. He pulled his cloak a bit tighter and moved down the well-lit hallways toward the kitchen. Perhaps he could coax a cup of hot tea out of the servants to take the chill out of his bones before he'd have to head out into the rain to face off with Kakashi Hatake once more.

-- --

* * *

By now, Jiraiya was hoping Kakashi would have finished pretending he could wipe away all of Konoha's problems on his own, and would have returned to release him from the never-ending torture that was the paperwork behind the running of Konoha. He sighed and pushed his pen across the parchment – knowing that if he didn't at least _look_ like he was working, Shizune would spend a good half hour watching him like a hawk.

He sighed and glanced out the window. He'd never really understood just how tiresome the official paperwork could be, and he had an entirely new respect for the fact Tsunade had put up with it at all. He smiled fondly at the memory of the Fifth Hokage leaning over behind stacks of papers and sneaking a sip of saké from time to time. He truly appreciated that act now more than ever.

Jiraiya turned back toward the desk in a moment of inspiration. He reached under the lip of the top drawer, feeling around until his fingertips brushed against the secret catch he'd seen Tsunade manipulate more than once in the past years. The soft whisper of the catch releasing on the side of the desk brought a knowing smile to his lips and caused him to look up to verify Shizune was nowhere to be seen.

Once he was certain he wouldn't be discovered, Jiraiya eased open the hidden compartment and gently removed a bottle of premium saké along with a single cup. A grin stretched across his lips. _Leave it to Tsunade to hide away the best stuff for herself._

He pulled the stopper out of the bottle and poured himself a drink. He stared into the clear liquid, and for the briefest moment he could have sworn he saw Tsunade staring back up at him. Jiraiya blinked back a tear, and with that movement, the vision of his long-time crush disappeared. He sighed and lifted the glass to his lips – savoring the taste as it slid past his lips and tongue. He was just about to pour himself another glass when the door opened and he met a pair of wide brown eyes. Thankfully they belonged to the Academy Teacher, and not Shizune. Of course that relief disappeared once the younger man spoke.

"Master Jiraiya! What do you think you're doing?" Iruka Umino stood in the doorway. The chunin's uniform looked rumpled from whatever he'd been doing and his dark brown hair was slipping out of his normally neat ponytail. His fists were perched on his hips, and his face was flushed from anger, but it was his voice that made Jiraiya cringe. That voice made it sound like he'd been caught ravaging one of the Village's children.

Jiraiya frowned and set the bottle and glass back onto the desk. "What does it look like I'm doing, Iruka? I'm taking a break from the endless mountains of paperwork that you and Shizune seem determined to bury me under." He stared down at the desk's surface and sighed. "No wonder Tsunade took up drinking."

"Oh please...Lady Tsunade took up drinking long before taking up the Hokage title...and you _know_ that, Master Jiraiya."

Jiraiya glanced up to see Iruka standing in front of the desk with his arms crossed and a look of disappointment in his eyes. "Stop looking at me like I just kicked one of Kakashi's mutts."

Iruka's eyes narrowed. "You haven't really done that....have you?"

Jiraiya chuckled at the change in direction the conversation was taking. "Iruka – you've known Kakashi long enough to know that _no one_ who kicked one of his mutts would still be breathing."

The chunin scratched at the back of his head and shrugged. "I guess you're right about that."

Jiraiya leaned back in his chair and placed his hands behind his head. "So what brings you into the office without another stack of papers for me to look at, hmmm?"

Jiraiya nearly laughed as he watched the young man try to regroup his mind to its original purpose. But before Iruka had a chance to say a single word, the door to the office was pushed wide, causing a breeze which sent the two nearest stacks of papers sailing off the desk to scatter across the floor.

Jiraiya sprang to his feet – trying desperately to keep the two piles from mixing. "Dammit! I spent all morning separating those!"

"Sorry, Pervy-sensei." That greeting in itself let Jiraiya know who the latest visitor was, and he instantly forgot about the errant papers.

"Naruto!" He stood up and grinned at the boy who'd been away training with the Toad-sages.

The blond-hair was a bit longer than it used to be, and Naruto looked like he'd grown a bit since he'd left, but otherwise he didn't look any worse for wear. Iruka placed a hand on Naruto's shoulder and smiled at his former student.

"Welcome home, Naruto! Does this mean you've finished your training?"

Jiraiya frowned when he saw Naruto's reaction to Iruka's question. The boy furrowed his brow and then turned his face away from them. His voice was barely above a whisper.

"Not exactly."

Jiraiya crossed to where the boy was seemingly pouting, and waited for Naruto to look back up at him. There was an almost pained look in his blue eyes. "What happened Naruto? You were gone long enough that you should be fully trained by now."

That comment seemed to make Naruto even more miserable, and Iruka stepped in to try and salvage the conversation. "Naruto – why don't you tell us what happened?"

Naruto rubbed one hand across the back of his neck – reminding Jiraiya of Kakashi in that moment – and then sighed wearily. "The Toads sent me back. They said I wasn't ready...and wouldn't be as long as _it_ was there."

"It?" Jiraiya scratched at the top of his head...not quite sure what the kid was talking about.

Naruto lowered his head to stare at his feet. "Kyuubi."

Iruka seemed outraged. "Master Jiraiya....can they _do_ that? I mean – really – weren't they supposed to be _helping_ him?"

Before Jiraiya could answer, Naruto spoke up. "Iruka-sensei, it's okay. They didn't just make up their mind about it, you know. They tried everything they could think of...but I just couldn't do what I needed to do. Anytime Ma and Pa toad tried to merge with me – even if it was with one of my clones – Kyuubi flared up and threw them off. One time it was so bad, the toads got pretty beat up."

Jiraiya frowned. "I was hoping their techniques would have helped you maintain control over the beast, Naruto. I'm so sorry. It should have worked."

Naruto shrugged. "Yeah – well it didn't. Now I'm stuck here, while Kakashi-sensei is out there trying to keep us all safe."

Jiraiya watched a strange look cross over Naruto's face at mention of the Hokage. "Listen Kid, it's not like I know where Kakashi is...otherwise I'd send you out to help him. You know that, right?"

Naruto lowered his head again and clenched his fists. "Yeah – I know."

Iruka's face lit up. "That's right! Master Jiraiya...that's why I was coming in to see you! One of Kakashi's hounds showed up with an update. They've been holed up at the border of Rain Country and are asking for backup!"

That caught Naruto's attention – and Jiraiya watched the light in the boy's blue eyes come back – as though someone flipped a switch. "Let me go – please? I need to get back to Kakashi-sensei!"

Jiraiya frowned. Something in how Naruto was acting really didn't settle right with him. "I don't know, Naruto. You've only just come back – and I have dozens of other missions I can assign to you."

Naruto narrowed his eyes dangerously – and Jiraiya could have sworn he saw a glint of red in them. "Are you saying I can't go, Pervy-sensei?"

"I'm saying I'll think about it Naruto. Okay?"

Naruto rolled his eyes. "Fine. When will you be done thinking about it?"

Jiraiya glared at the kid, while Iruka hit Naruto across the back of his head. "Knock it off, Naruto! Master Jiraiya is in charge until the Hokage returns. Show him a little more respect! He'll let you know his decision when he makes it!"

Naruto rubbed at the back of his head and frowned. "Ow! Fine...you didn't have to hit me, you know."

Jiraiya chuckled at the exchange – glad to see some things never changed. "Now get outta here, Kid. I've got some thinking to do."

Iruka took his words for the dismissal they were and placed a hand on Naruto's shoulder once more. "Come on, Naruto. I'll treat you to ramen and catch you up on what you've missed."

Naruto's face lit up with a smile. "Sure thing, Iruka-sensei! I've been craving Ichiraku Ramen for months!"

Just like that, the whirlwind left the office, with Iruka trailing after him, leaving Jiraiya to clean up the mess while trying to think of just why he was feeling uncomfortable about letting Naruto rejoin his former sensei. He looked back at the bottle on the desk and wondered what Tsunade would have done. Sighing to himself, he took a moment to replace the glass and bottle into the hidden compartment, and then bent to start picking up the scattered papers – all the time cursing Kakashi Hatake for ever forcing him to be in this position in the first place.


	2. An Unexpected Answer

Chapter 2

An Unexpected Answer

Naruto was pissed. By now he was supposed to be in control of the Kyuubi and be able to perform all sorts of Sage-level jutsu...just like Pervy-sage and Kakashi-sensei had promised. Instead, Naruto found himself kicked out of the Sage program and sent back to Konoha – a complete and utter failure. Hell – he could just about hear Sasuke's voice calling him a loser once again. Even ramen with Iruka-sensei hadn't done much to cheer him up – especially after he got there to find Ichiraku Ramen was trying out new flavors and he found he didn't like _any_ of them. His taste buds were probably still off from all that crap the toads had made him eat in the name of training. Now here he was wandering aimlessly through Konoha – trying to find something useful to do.

"_What did you expect, boy? That the brat would just up and hand over more power to you? Hatake would never do that...he'd never allow you to get stronger than him."_

Naruto frowned. "Shut up you bastard!"

A startled gasp from beside him drew Naruto's attention away from the Kyuubi for a moment. His eyes met those of a young mother and her small dark-haired son. Their eyes were wide with shock, and Naruto knew it was because he'd spoken out loud to the beast deep within him. If it had been a year ago, he would have apologized and begged for forgiveness for saying such a thing, but now – after months of disappointment...months of having the Kyuubi whisper his dark words in Naruto's ears – all he could do was growl, shove his hands deep in his pockets, and storm away from the two innocent citizens. The Kyuubi's quiet laughter caressed Naruto's mind, lulling him into an almost trance-like state as he moved on through the early evening crowds.

"_You know, if you let me, boy, I can show you things that the Toads would never have been able to show you. Things that can bring the Hokage to his knees and force him to acknowledge our true strength."_

Naruto slouched and lowered his head as he continued walking the streets of Konoha...struggling to keep strong against the tempting words. "Just leave me alone already."

"I'm sorry, Naruto. I just wanted to bring you this ramen." Iruka's voice caused him to stop and tense slightly.

"Ramen?" He tipped his chin up until he could see Iruka-sensei standing directly in front of him.

Iruka's face stretched into an easy grin as he held up a takeout bag into Naruto's line of sight. "I was passing by Ichiraku Ramen when Teuchi waved me over to let me know how sorry he was that you didn't enjoy your food earlier. He had his daughter cook up a fresh batch using your favorite recipe and sent it along just for you!"

Naruto pulled one hand out of his pocket and scratched at the top of his head. "Why would he bother?"

Iruka's smile faltered slightly, and Naruto watched the man's eyes cloud over with anger while his face tinged red. "Why _wouldn't_ he bother, Naruto? That man _cares_ about you! He wanted to make you happy!"

"_That's right, boy...he's probably just afraid your business will go away...and he may have to close up shop because of the loss of steady income. Hell – after all, the ramen cook will never see you as more than a snot-nosed brat who conned him out of hundreds of bowls of ramen over the years."_

Naruto closed his eyes and tried to ignore the demon's words while he concentrated on the aroma wafting toward him from the bag Iruka-sensei was still holding up in front of his nose. He wanted nothing more than to find that scent tempting – to be desperate to tear into the freshly made noodles and slurp down the hot broth – but it didn't happen. Instead the scent of the ramen made his stomach turn. He frowned and closed his eyes.

"You keep it, Iruka-sensei. I don't really have much of an appetite right now."

He heard the thick layer of concern in the teacher's voice. "What's wrong with you Naruto?"

The Kyuubi's disgust melded into Naruto's mind and made him doubt Iruka's intentions. The power which was forever boiling below the surface seeped just a bit closer to his core, tingling along Naruto's nerve endings and bringing a low growl from his mouth. When his eyes opened, he saw the world through a red-tinged haze and snarled at the chunin who had helped make him who he was today.

"Why is it that both of you always want to know what's wrong with me? _There's nothing_ wrong with me! Besides, it's not like either of you even care!"

He watched a look of shock flash across Iruka's face. "Naruto? I'll always want to know what's wrong with you. I care for you." The man's eyes narrowed. "You know that. What's this really about? And who else are you talking about?"

"_Why don't you tell him, boy? Tell him about how much of a monster your Hokage is."_

Naruto groaned and lowered his head while he tried to separate his thoughts from the fox's. It was getting harder and harder to do, and he wondered if it was because their thoughts really weren't so different after all. He was about to speak again when he sensed a hand coming toward him. In a flash of speed, Naruto gripped the wrist of that hand and squeezed until he heard a pained gasp. Recognizing Iruka's voice, Naruto's eyes widened in shock, and then shame, as he released his grip and took a step back.

"Please, Iruka-sensei, just leave me alone for now. I just wanna go home and rest." Without waiting for a reply, Naruto launched himself up onto the nearest roof and sped toward his apartment. All the while the Kyuubi's presence continued to surge through his mind.

-- --

* * *

Iruka stood in the center of the road, oblivious to the throngs of people walking around him, and stared at the nail marks on his wrist that were dripping fresh blood onto the ground. What the hell had just happened? One second he was offering Naruto a free meal and his concern, and the next, he was having his wrist pierced by nails that reminded him all too much of claws.

Iruka swallowed back a lump that had formed in his throat. He'd never thought of Naruto as anything more than a troubled kid over all these years, but now...now he had no choice but to think of the creature that was trapped within the young man. Could the seals be breaking down? Iruka frowned. No – he was simply overreacting. He knew Naruto was under a lot of stress lately, and Iruka was sure that must be what caused such a strange reaction in the boy. And he was certain Naruto wasn't sporting claws – that was just ridiculous. Naruto was never one to keep his nails manicured, so it was probably just that he'd nicked them up during his training with the Toads and hadn't bothered to smooth them out yet.

Iruka took a slow breath in and out and gripped the bag in his hand a bit tighter. Still – he'd never seen Naruto turn down ramen before, and that seemed more unsettling to him than any of the other changes he'd seen in the young man since he'd returned to the village. Iruka slowly turned and walked toward where he knew Naruto's apartment was. He'd get to the bottom of this one way or another.

With his resolve firmly set, Iruka turned the corner to head down the street which led to the apartment complex. He hadn't taken three steps down the street when he was stopped short by the appearance of a masked ANBU. The bag of ramen nearly dropped to the ground, but Iruka saved it from such a fate using dexterity he had honed dodging the errant throws of pre-genin over the years. He glared at the cat-masked ANBU.

"Did you really need to startle me like that?"

The masked man in front of him shrugged. "You shouldn't have been startled, Iruka-sensei."

Great. Just what he needed today. Judgment on his skills from one of the elite. Iruka sighed and reigned in his growing anger. "Is there some reason you don't want me walking down this street?"

In response, the ANBU presented Iruka with a small scroll and then disappeared leaving no trace that he'd ever been standing there. Iruka blinked at the tightly rolled parchment in his hand and frowned. This was highly unusual. His attention then shifted to the paper bag still clutched in his other hand and he noticed the growing spot of wetness saturating the side. He sighed and moved over to where there was a garbage bin. So much for his dexterous rescue of the meal. He tossed it in and then leaned against the wall to take a closer look at the scroll.

It bore the seal of the Hokage's office...which didn't really surprise him considering how it had been delivered. Iruka slid a finger under that seal and bit his lower lip as the paper came loose. Why wouldn't Jiraiya just call him in for a meeting? Why send a scroll?

Iruka's eyes went wide as the characters on the scroll came into focus. He was being assigned to a mission? He scanned farther and gasped...an _A-ranked_ mission!?! His heart sped up. Had Jiraiya finally lost his mind? Or was this payback for Iruka scolding the Sage about drinking Lady Tsunade's stash of saké_?_

Iruka rolled the scroll back up and slid it into his vest to keep it safe. If he was to go on a mission out of the village he needed to make sure an appropriate substitute was in place at the Academy, and he'd need to restock his mission pack. After all, he hadn't been on a longterm mission in quite some time. Iruka found himself humming to himself as he went about getting things in order – completely forgetting where he'd been headed before the ANBU's appearance.

-- --

* * *

Kakashi ducked under another round of shuriken that was expertly thrown from the roof of an adjacent building. As he had expected, the moment he and his team stepped into the driving rain the Akatsuki had somehow known their exact location. But with this knowledge in hand, it had allowed for the Copy-nin to plan accordingly. Still – his team was hard-pressed to keep one step ahead of the attackers. And this task was made even more difficult when it became clear that the Akatsuki's presence in this village was somewhat welcomed. So he and his team weren't only fighting against the Akatsuki, but also against a slew of their loyal followers. This, of course, complicated matters.

These followers were not skilled warriors like the Akatsuki. No – they were simple folk who lived within the boundaries of this village and foolishly followed the teachings and orders of a madman. And now...now he and his own team were being forced to cut them down while the more skilled members of the Akatsuki tried their best to pick them off one by one from above. It was a cowards way of doing battle, and it angered Kakashi to know that anyone would stoop to such means.

His mind tried to find some way he could spare these people without risking himself or his team, but as another group of them surged forward in the streets between the towering buildings of the village, Kakashi knew there was no other choice. He called out into his radio even as he moved forward to meet the onslaught.

"They're necessary casualties. Move to Phase Two!"

Kakashi knew his harsh words were heard, just as he knew the instructions would be followed. That didn't make his orders any easier to bear. Still, he had a mission to finish and he'd be damned if he'd fail. So he drew his katana from the sheath across his back and launched himself at the rushing crowd, making sure his actions took out the majority of the citizens so his team only needed to bear the guilt of a handful of souls...it was the least he could do.

The blood of these people ran thick on his blade but was quickly washed away in the driving rain that had yet to lessen. It made the fight difficult at best, as the rain-slicked cobblestones of the street would have been impossible for them to traverse easily if not for their chakra control. In fact, more than a few of these unfortunate followers were stumbling as they dashed blindly toward him, unaware that they would never see another day.

Kakashi pushed the morose thoughts to the background and concentrated on crossing the remaining distance toward where one of the Akatsuki bastards stood watching over the chaos in their damnable black and red cloak. From this distance, he couldn't tell which one it was, but in his mind it didn't really matter. His only concern was ending this farce of a battle with at least one less Akatsuki walking the Earth.

Kakashi's focus was so narrowed on that goal, that when he felt the kunai slip into his left side it came as more than a bit of a shock. He was forced to a stop when his assailant's hand grabbed hold of Kakashi's right wrist and wrenched the katana from his grip. The chakra-laced rain had kept him from sensing this attacker's approach, and it was only a moment before he knew who it was. He stared down into two bright red sharingan and cursed his luck even as the name slid beyond his lips.

"Itachi."

Those damnable eyes narrowed at him while Itachi twisted the blade still pushed into Kakashi's side. The Uchiha forced Kakashi's wrist up until the bone-white ring marking him as the Tool of the Akatsuki came into view. Itachi smirked.

"The Leader will be glad to learn you still wear the ring, Kakashi. He had feared you had gone to extremes to remove it." Itachi's gaze swept over Kakashi's arm. "Ah...so that's why you have the Hyuga with you. He has managed to block your chakra paths rather effectively. A crude method...but effective. Although I imagine it has reduced your ability to channel your chakra very well – which explains your use of the katana instead of one of your thousands of jutsu."

Kakashi grimaced as the kunai was pushed in a bit farther. "Actually, Itachi, I was saving it just for you."

He watched Itachi's eyes go wide while the sound of a thousand birds filled the air. Kakashi raised his left hand until it was level with Itachi's chest...his chakra, although not as bright as it would have been if he'd been able to gather it in his right hand, was held defiantly in his palm. Kakashi pushed that fist of chakra through the body in front of him knowing that, because of the man's proximity to him, there was no way he could miss. A look of pain flashed through those crimson eyes even as the ball of lightning was shoved with more than a bit of effort through to the other side of Itachi's chest.

Kakashi was only slightly surprised when the body surrounding his fist dispersed into a cloud of smoke. Unfortunately, however, the blade he was stabbed with was very real, and still lodged just below his ribs. He couldn't risk pulling it out for fear of bleeding to death. Kakashi glanced around trying desperately to locate his katana, but the driving rain still impeded his vision and his own sharingan was far from useful these days. So as more of the villagers rushed toward him he braced himself to use his taijutsu, all the while hoping his team would arrive as backup before the kunai in his side caused irreparable damage.

The first attacker struck at him with barely controlled blows, but in his current state, it took everything Kakashi had to keep those blows from landing. His body was slowing down with each moment his blood continued to flow out of the wound, and his breath was beginning to rasp in his chest.

"Dammit, Kakashi! Fall back already...Konoha doesn't need to lose another Hokage so soon!"

Kakashi glared at Genma but couldn't fault the man's logic. The villagers kept coming, no matter what they tried, and he was quickly becoming more of a liability to the mission than a help. "Fine...but you're coming with me!"

The senbon in between Genma's lips bobbed up and down. "Whatever you say, Boss."

With that, Genma slid his arm around Kakashi's waist – careful not to hit the kunai still sticking out of his side – and moved his hands into the proper position for the transportation jutsu. At the end of the short trip, Kakashi had to grit his teeth against the pain. Once Genma helped him sit in the small room he'd moved them to, Sakura was at his side immediately. Her silence made it clear the wound wasn't a simple one.

After a few tense moments he felt the cool sensation of her chakra infusing itself into his side, dulling the pain as it went. Next it shifted to a comfortable warmth when she started pulling the blade free and used that chakra to weave the injured flesh back together. Kakashi let a deep sigh out when the tip of the blade was finally pulled free of his body.

"Thank you, Sakura. I knew you'd make a fine medic."

Sakura gave a short laugh. "Don't thank me yet, Hokage. I'm not finished quite yet. The blade was tainted."

That drew a snarl from Kakashi's lips. He should have realized Itachi would have had a reason for such a straight forward attack. After all, it was not his style in the least. "What kind of poison are we dealing with? Paralytic, or neural?"

The look on Sakura's face made his stomach clench. "Neither actually. It's more like you've had someone else's chakra pushed into your body. I'm not entirely sure what it's supposed to do, but I don't think I can get it all out – at least not in the field."

Genma scratched at the back of his head. "What game are they playing at, Kakashi? Why go to all the trouble of stabbing you if it wasn't going to be lethal?"

Kakashi closed his eyes. "Isn't it obvious? We cut off their only way to track me. This is likely their backup plan."

Genma growled. "Great – so now what? They'll be able to find you no matter where we go."

Kakashi opened his eyes and chuckled. "This just might work to our advantage."

Sakura frowned. "How can having them know where you are _possibly_ work to our advantage?"

Genma laughed out loud. "Sakura, I think our Boss just volunteered to become bait for an ambush."

"_What!?!_ There's no way in hell we're going to let you do that Kakashi-sensei!"

Kakashi frowned and looked toward Genma. "Is it just me, or does Sakura tend to switch back to calling me Sensei when she's pissed off?"

Sakura sputtered at his comment while Genma continued to laugh. Kakashi was tempted to leave her in such a state, but figured all it would gain him was a bruised body when she decided to punch him. Instead, he let her in on the true plan.

"I know that you are far better at chakra manipulation than most people think you are, Sakura. So, with Neji's help, and the use of one of my clones, I figure we should be able to set up one hell of a believable decoy to keep the Akatsuki occupied until we're ready to end this once and for all."

Sakura blushed at his compliment. "You might be right, Hokage. But we'll need to move quickly before the foreign chakra spreads out any farther within your system."

"Right." Kakashi reached up to his throat and activated his radio. "Regroup at Alpha 14 in ten."

He heard all those still out in the rain respond in the affirmative and knew that they'd be able to set his plan in motion before the day was out.

-- --

* * *

Itachi stood in front of the Leader with his head bowed, waiting for his presence to be acknowledged. He knew he'd crossed some unseen line in the sand by avoiding the last few encounters, but he hoped his transgression would be forgotten when Pein heard him out.

"You are back empty-handed, Itachi."

Inwardly, Itachi cringed at the accusing tone of the Leader. Outwardly he remained calm and raised his head to stare into the black and white ringed eyes. "True, but I have acquired information which should make up for it."

"For your sake, Itachi, I hope you are right." Pein signaled for him to explain.

"Kakashi still bears the Akatsuki's ring, Leader. Although it is being blocked through the Hyuga's use of precision blows to the Hokage's network."

Pein scowled. "To know the method of the blocking does not help us track the man down, Itachi."

"True enough. But the introduction of a tracing chakra into Kakashi's system will."

A slight grin pulled at the Leader's mouth. "And you have delivered such a chakra to the Tool?"

Itachi bowed his head. "Of course, Leader. It should be working its way deep into Kakashi's system even as we speak."

A chuckle crept through the room. "Well done, Itachi. Indeed this will come in quite useful in the days to come. Did you observe anything else about the Tool?"

Itachi met the Leader's eyes once more. "Kakashi Hatake is unable to channel his chakra into his right hand while he is blocked, but is learning to use his left hand just as easily. I cannot be certain quite yet, but it appears he is unwilling, or perhaps unable, to use his sharingan."

The Leader closed his eyes and leaned back into his chair. "So at least we will not need to worry about the Tool employing the Mangekyo anytime soon. That is good news, Itachi. You have done well."

Itachi refused to react to the condescending tone of the Leader, instead taking his leave of the man and heading into the corridors of the headquarters. There were still many unanswered questions in Itachi's mind over this latest encounter with Kakashi Hatake, not the least of which was just why he had decided not to do more than leave a tracer in the man. What was it about the Sixth Hokage that kept him from moving against him in more than the most basic of ways?

Itachi stood still in the hallway and closed his eyes, trying to pinpoint when exactly his change in attitude had occurred toward Kakashi Hatake. Could it be that he still held some sick sense of loyalty to the man from their days in ANBU? Itachi frowned. That was simply not acceptable. He had put those events far behind him. He had purged those connections from himself with the acts he'd needed to perform to his own clan. He'd vowed his allegiance to the Akatsuki's goals. _That_ should be all that occupied his mind.

And yet...he found his mind troubled with the thought of having Kakashi Hatake in the hands of the Akatsuki. Itachi clenched his fists in frustration. Why? Why should he care, one way or another, if it meant the Akatsuki's goals could be reached that much sooner? Could it possibly be that he was feeling some twisted sort of family bond with the man? No! So what if he was related by blood. It should not matter this late in the game.

Itachi opened his eyes and firmly set his resolve. He would not let Kakashi Hatake keep him from the fruition of the Akatsuki's goals. After all, it was only in reaching those goals that he would be able to move on to his own. And that was something he could not..._would not_ allow to be stolen from him.

He moved along the hallway toward where the other members of the Akatsuki were gathered for the evening meal. With each step taken, Itachi steeled his mind and his heart against any further distractions or misguided notions.

-- --

* * *

"Come on, Iruka-sensei! It's time to go! What are you waiting for?!?"

Iruka had to keep himself from laughing at Naruto's eagerness. It was a far cry from how moody the boy had been the night before, and he was thrilled to see it. After all, he really wasn't sure how to act around Naruto when he was so out of sorts.

"Alright, alright, Naruto. I've got everything I need. Let's head out."

If the grin on Naruto's face grew any larger, Iruka was certain the young man's head would split in two. Still, there was an odd glint in Naruto's eyes that made him think that perhaps last night's issues hadn't been fully resolved yet. But Iruka wasn't too concerned. After all, he and Naruto would have plenty of time to talk things through on their way to the border of Rain Country. He still couldn't believe Jiraiya was sending them as backup to Kakashi. Of course, they weren't exactly going alone. A hand-selected group of jonin and chunin were accompanying them to make certain nothing happened along the way. Iruka's task was to act as the diplomatic liaison for Konoha in case the group ran afoul of the numerous minor countries between here and there.

Although this wasn't exactly his ideal purpose in a mission, Iruka was pleased to see Jiraiya was acknowledging that perhaps sometimes a diplomatic approach might be preferred to all out brute force or even stealthy assassinations. Perhaps all his talks with the Toad-sage about the finer points of diplomacy were finally sinking in!

"So Sensei. Is it true that you've been sent on this mission so Master Jiraiya can drink his saké in peace?"

Iruka furrowed his brow and glared to his left while they continued running along through the branches of the trees. Kotetsu's dark eyes mirrored the amusement of his upturned mouth. _That couldn't possibly be the real reason he was assigned to this mission, could it? _But before he could question Kotetsu about where he'd heard that, Izumo chimed in.

"Actually, I heard it was to keep the brat in line."

Iruka groaned...but the abuse wasn't quite over yet when Shikaku Nara added his own thoughts. "It may be troublesome, but I had heard Iruka missed arguing with the Hokage."

Iruka hung his head while his cheeks flamed red in a cross between anger and embarrassment. "Thanks for the votes of confidence guys."

Izumo slapped him on the back, nearly causing him the slip off the branch they were on. "Anytime, Sensei!"

Naruto glanced back at them and frowned. "Come on, already! We need to catch up to Kakashi-sensei!"

Kotetsu joined them on the branch. "Looks like Iruka isn't the only one missing Kakashi."

Iruka frowned. Part of him was worried that his chunin friend wasn't too far off the mark...but he doubted it was for the reasons any of the others thought.

-- --

* * *

When the group set camp for the night, Naruto set his bedroll at the edge of camp...as far away from Iruka-sensei as he could. He knew the man would try to pry into what had passed between them back in Konoha, and quite honestly, he really didn't want to go there right now. He was confused enough about the thoughts spinning around in his head without his Sensei looking at him like he'd grown a second head.

More and more he was starting to feel a distance between himself and the rest of the Konoha shinobi. At first he thought he was imagining it...but even here, in the midst of a mission, he could sense a separation between him and the others. He sighed and pulled his blanket up higher as he rolled over so his back was toward the fire.

"_You don't need them, Boy."_

Naruto closed his eyes as the far too familiar voice echoed in his mind. He stopped trying to block it out halfway through the failed training with the Toad-sages. Back then, it helped soothe away the anger he felt at not being able to succeed. Then, somehow along the way, Naruto stopped thinking of the presence in his mind as something to fight at all, and just let it speak whenever it wanted to. Sometimes he'd argue with it out loud...but most times he would quietly converse with it within his mind.

"_You don't know what I need, Fox."_

He could feel the essence of the Demon-fox resonate through him before that voice hummed through his mind once more. _"I know more than you think. You need answers – do you not?"_

Heh – this was new. Normally the Fox would tease him or insult him...but this? Could the demon even know what questions he had? Naruto rolled onto his back and placed his arms under his head. He opened his eyes to stare up at the blanket of stars in the sky. _"What are you talking about?"_

This time a soft chuckle rang through his mind. _"You've always wanted to know why it had to be you."_

That caught and held Naruto's attention. _"How could you know that?"_

The Fox's essence surged in annoyance. _"I always thought the stupidity was an act, Boy. Don't prove me wrong."_

Naruto growled softly. _"Fine. I should have figured you wouldn't keep your nose out of my own thoughts. So stop playing around. Tell me why it had to be me."_

He felt a shiver run through his body and knew the fox was pleased by his reaction. _"Perhaps you would prefer it if I showed you instead?"_

Before Naruto had a chance to answer, he felt his mind spin in on itself, and he was pulled down into the mindscape where he knew the Fox resided. He landed hard on his hands and knees in the red-tinged water, and it took him a moment to climb to his feet. Once he did he snarled at the visage of the Fox staring out at him from behind the thick bars of his cage.

"_Stop playing games, bastard!"_

"_Very well, Boy. Remember – you asked for this. Now sit down and enjoy the show."_

With those words, Naruto felt his mind tip again and he hastily did as the Fox had suggested and sat – just as the area between them transformed into the scene of a great battle. Naruto watched in awe as the full power of the Nine-tailed Fox loomed over the forests of Konoha. With every swish of a tail, Naruto saw the bodies of some of the elite shinobi of Konoha tossed aside. He saw jutsu after jutsu thrown at the Kyuubi only to have them fail. He was so overwhelmed by what he was seeing that he had barely registered the flash of silvery-white racing across the ground toward where the Fourth Hokage – Naruto's father – stood on a rock outcropping.

The Kyuubi, however, noticed Kakashi's approach almost immediately, and Naruto sensed something within the beast that felt almost like pleasure at seeing the young teenager racing toward him. Naruto watched in unhidden awe at how fluid the young Kakashi moved while dodging the advances of the Kyuubi. He felt the Fox snarl as Kakashi's chakra-laced blade pierced its skin numerous times. But he also noticed how the Kyuubi didn't back away from the painful stabs and slashes. What was he doing? Why would he move _closer_ to a weapon that could actually hurt him? It didn't make sense.

That was when he saw Kakashi stumble and fall to the ground – exhaustion had finally ended his fight. Naruto felt the wave of pleasure increase in the beast at the sight of the unprotected body before him. He watched the Kyuubi bend his head closer to the teenager, sniffing in the scent of the boy deeply and smiling at the realization that there was no fear wafting off of him. There was simply the acceptance that his life was forfeit for the greater good. The Kyuubi licked its lips and began to gather a tendril of its power within its core. He leaned closer yet to Kakashi and Naruto could hear the words the beast whispered.

"_At last, you will be mine."_

Naruto was beginning to realize that these were not the actions of a beast closing in for a kill. A sick feeling slipped through him at the thought that things might not be as he had thought. He suspicions were confirmed when Naruto heard the Fourth Hokage's voice ring through the chaos.

"I won't let you have him, Fox! Not now – _not ever_!"

A moment later, and Naruto watched the Kyuubi throw his head back in pain and anger. He saw the beast desperately try to throw himself forward just that one step more to close in on the fallen Hatake, but it was useless. That final jutsu from the Fourth was more powerful than even it could fight against. With an unearthly howl of pain and frustration, the demon-fox's essence was pulled away from the unconscious form of Kakashi and forced into the infant lying at the Hokage's feet.

Naruto blinked in shock as he saw the child was him. With that final moment burned forever in his mind, the vision swirled away to reveal the glowing eyes of the Kyuubi staring out at him from its prison.

"_So do you understand yet, Boy?"_

Naruto frowned. _"So before...when you said 'that stupid brat cost you everything.'..you weren't talking about Kakashi-sensei, were you?"_

The Fox chuckled. _"No, Boy, I wasn't."_

"_And my Father did what he did..."_

The Fox nearly purred. _"He did it to keep me from taking possession of the only vessel that was ever worthy of merging with me. He did it to keep that boy's potential away from me."_

Naruto shook his head. _"No! He did it to save the village!"_

Now the Fox laughed cruelly. _"Don't be blind, Boy. The village had nothing to do with it. He sacrificed _your_ future for the life of Kakashi Hatake. That whelp meant more to him than his own son."_

Naruto groaned and placed his fists against his temples trying in vain to block the Kyuubi's words from his mind.

"_You saw it for yourself, Naruto. You know what my thoughts were. You heard your father's words for yourself. Just think on it for a bit...and ask yourself one question. Did Kakashi know he was the reason your life was forfeit? We'll talk again soon."_

With that, Naruto's mind was his own again and he felt his skin covered in a thin sheen of cold sweat. His head ached and his heart hurt, but he couldn't ignore what the Fox had shown him. As much as he wanted to...it was clear that he couldn't deny what the truth was...his Father had actually thought less of him than he did of Kakashi. It was a bitter pill to swallow after everything else that had happened to him...and now he had to wonder if perhaps Kakashi-sensei _had_ always known. Why else would he have never checked up on him when he was a kid? Wouldn't he have wanted to make sure the son of his Sensei was okay? And why else would he have concentrated more on Sasuke than the rest of Team Seven?

He groaned and rolled onto his side. His mind was too active to sleep, but he didn't want to draw attention to himself either. Instead he just stared into the flames of the fire and tried to sort everything out in his mind.

-- --

* * *

Shikaku watched Naruto toss and turn on his bedroll and narrowed his eyes in contemplation. When Jiraiya had asked him to join the mission and keep an eye on the jinchuriki as a personal favor to him, he had figured the creative writer had simply imagined something that wasn't there. Now, as he witnessed the erratic spiking of the boy's chakra over the course of the evening, he was starting to rethink the sanity of the Toad-sage. It was obvious there was indeed something off with young Naruto, and if the hostile feel of the chakra seeping from him was anything to go by, it was liable to be far more than just troublesome.

Shikaku sighed and wondered how long it would be before he'd have to step in and immobilize the boy. Jiraiya had been quite clear in his request that he not physically harm the boy unless nothing else would work. Still, he would have preferred to have his normal teammates on hand should this prove to be as unsettling as his mind was leading him to think it would be.

He glanced around the group of seasoned jonin and chunin and wondered if any of them knew what type of danger they were likely to be facing should Naruto lose his hold on the Kyuubi sealed within him. He knew firsthand just how brutal that beast was...hell...his face bore the scars to prove it. He let out a slow breath when he finally felt Naruto's chakra return to its normal calm and rolled onto his back.

Shikaku turned his gaze to the stars above, taking comfort in the familiar patterns of light on dark. He traced the outlines of some of his favorite constellations and let his mind clear itself. He knew that over thinking the problem would do nothing but cloud his vision to potential resolutions. So he allowed the serenity of the stars to ease his mind and settled in to see where fate led him next.


	3. A Change of Direction

Chapter 3

A Change of Direction

Kakashi choked through his mask on the smoke and ash that was saturating the air. Even with the constant rain, the aftermath of their latest attack on the Akatsuki left a sour taste in his mouth. His plan to use his clone to lure the enemy to them worked better than they'd hoped, and within twenty-four hours of his stab wound, the team from Konoha was face to face with not one, but _two_ of the red and black cloaked villains. Unfortunately for them, the team was a match up of Deidara and Aigaki...which meant they were evenly matched, man for man once Aigaki's duplicates were counted.

It was times like these that Kakashi truly missed having Naruto around. The blond menace could have created enough shadow clones to more than swing things to their favor. Instead, they were close to running out of options.

"What the hell am I thinking?"

Kakashi shook his head at his own stupidity. He might not be able to create as many clones as the hyperactive knucklehead, but he could definitely make enough to give his companions the breathing room they needed to turn the battle back to their favor. Kakashi focused his chakra into the basic hand sign needed and, from one moment to the next, he found himself surrounded by just shy of eighty shadow clones.

They may not be as resilient as Aigaki's duplicates, but they should be more than enough to keep the enemy occupied while the rest of his team moved in for the kill. In fact, even as he was making this observation, he was pleased to see the others preparing for their attacks.

Soon he was truly appreciative of Naruto's stamina and tenacity. After all, with each clone that the enemy dispersed, Kakashi absorbed the memories and experiences from them...including how they 'died.' It was one thing to do so for one or two of the creations, but when it moved into dozens of them, the experience wore on him almost as though he were receiving those killing blows himself. So when he thought about the fact that Naruto has been known to create hundreds of the clones at a clip, he couldn't help but appreciate it. Of course, some of it was likely a side effect of having the Kyuubi housed within him, but some of it had to be from the core of the boy, too.

Kakashi blocked another one of Deidara's exploding birds and spun down into a crouch just in time to miss Aigaki's duplicate's attempt at slamming him in the back with a weighted hammer. One well placed kick upward from his crouched position sent that attacker sailing through the air, and a moment later Kakashi watched with satisfaction as Shikamaru sliced through its neck with a chakra-blade.

But his time for appreciating the skills of Asuma's favorite student was cut short when another volley of clay bombs detonated just behind him. The force of the explosion caused Kakashi to stagger forward, but thankfully he managed to regain his balance before the follow-up bombing could reach him. He leaped off to the side and twisted in the air, sending a volley of shuriken toward where the blond was smugly sitting atop his clay bird. Only two out of ten shuriken thrown actually hit their mark, and Kakashi cursed the fact he was still not able to trust the sharingan to help him aim his attacks. Still, he'd caused enough damage to the Akatsuki member that Deidara was already trying to break off his attack.

Kakashi frowned and redoubled his his efforts to make chase...after all, the point of this mission was to _eliminate_ the enemy – not just run them off. He quickly ran through the abilities of all of the shinobi he'd brought with him and recognized the one potential flaw in the formation of this team...he'd failed to include _anyone_ who specialized in long-range offensive attacks. True – Shikamaru could attack at quite a distance now that he included Shadow-sewing in his repertoire, but his attacks all relied on the presence of those shadows, and with Deidara so far in the sky, the use of his shadow-skill was greatly limited.

Kiba and Akamaru were best on the ground...unless the Inuzuka had been breeding with large birds while Kakashi had been away, that is. He smirked at the thought and moved on in his roster of possibilities.

Sakura's ability to concentrate vast amounts of her chakra in her fists definitely made her a close-combat type, and Ino's mind attacks required the target to ideally remain immobile long enough for her jutsu to take hold while leaving her true body vulnerable to attack. Then there were Raido and Aoba...once again, perfect close-combat fighters. Aoba's use of this crow swarm to hide Raido's attack with his black-blade had saved his butt on more than one occasion and, although Kakashi was tempted to use Aoba's cloud of crows to confuse the air-born enemy, he knew it wouldn't work. All Deidara would need to do would be to fly above the smaller bird's range or, knowing the blond-freak, he'd just have his clay monstrosity devour the much smaller avians.

And of course there was Genma...whose skills with the senbon actually surpassed his own...although he'd never be the one to admit it to the ego-maniac. But there was still a limit to just how far he could attack with those needles. At best, with just the right conditions, Genma could turn the deadly needles into a fairly accurate mid-ranged weapon. But with the wind turbulence created by every flap of the clay-bird's wings, that accuracy would drop to nearly zero.

Meanwhile, Neji's skills with all of his variations on the Eight trigrams jutsu were definitely impressive but, yet again, not very good for long-range attacks. Hell, even his own long range abilities were drastically reduced with the need to have Neji block some of his chakra points, and would remain so until he could spare the time to retrain his body to adjust to the altered flow of chakra.

All of this left only one possibility to keep Deidara from escaping their carefully laid trap...Choji Akimichi. Kakashi scanned the area until he located the kid...a task made easier considering Choji's plentiful girth. He placed two fingers to his throat to activate his radio.

"Choji...do you have it in you for a Full Expansion jutsu?"

The youngest member of the Akimichi Clan took a moment to respond. "Not quite enough for a full expansion, but what do you need to get done, sir?"

Kakashi had to smile at how the kid owned up to his current limitations instead of putting up a fake front, but still offered his services...all in the same breath. He was becoming more and more like his Old Man with each passing day. Kakashi smirked as he readjusted his plans once more.

"Choji...how are you at handball?"

A chuckle came over the airway. "I can always use more practice, Hokage. Where's the ball?"

Knowing the younger man was likely watching him at this point, Kakashi wasted no more words which might accidentally be overheard, and simply pointed one finger up toward the sky while keeping his hand close to his waist. From one moment to the next, Choji's hands and arms grew in size until they dwarfed the massive bird the blond Akatsuki member was perched on. Although the speed of the transformation still left room for improvement, the boy's aim couldn't be faulted as the bird found itself neatly sandwiched between the two palms.

Unfortunately, as that speed was still a bit slow, it gave Deidara the opportunity to jump free of the crushing force just as it would have surely ended his life. Kakashi, however, expected just such a move on the enemy's part, and used his limited sharingan to track exactly where the man landed. With a single body-flicker, Kakashi positioned himself directly behind where Deidara was struggling to stand after a not-so-graceful landing.

Kakashi felt the blond man's body tense as he became aware of his peril, even as Kakashi thrust a kunai with unerring accuracy up and through where Deidara's neck and chin met, before dragging it swiftly through one of many major arteries in the soon to be dead man's body. But Kakashi was unable to enjoy the smoothness of the kill for even an instant as he saw a faint smirk pull across Deidara's lips. Kakashi's eyes went wide when he heard the sound of something small falling onto the ground. Without taking the time to verify his suspicions, Kakashi released his hold on the bomb expert's body and tried to leap backward just as the ground where he'd just been standing erupted into a good-sized ball of fire. He pulled his arms up to shield his face from the majority of the damage as the explosion sent clods of ground, raged rocks, and what was surely bone fragments and body parts his way...along with a concussive force that was surprisingly large.

Kakashi heard the sound of his body crashing through a nearby wall before the first sensation of pain managed to crawl its way into his awareness. He felt all his air escape from his lungs in one loud gasp and found himself unable to shake off the wave of disorientation that followed. He looked up to see a blur of color and shapes and he tried to blink away the fog that was creeping into his already diminished vision. His need for air distracted him for a moment as he tried to pull in some of the life-giving essence into his deflated lungs. Kakashi winced in pain when the expansion of those lungs caused a sharp pain in his upper back...making it clear to his dizzy mind that he'd managed to crack, if not break, a few ribs.

Once that pain was acknowledged, other parts of his body demanded their own notice. A constant stinging up and down both forearms, and the front of his legs, made it clear he'd been burnt from Deidara's final attack, and a dull ache at the back of his skull made him think he was likely sporting a severe concussion from his encounter with the stone wall he'd managed to demolish in his passing. An annoying ringing in his ears made it impossible to hear anything around him, and all he could smell at the moment was his own burnt skin. Kakashi tried once more to clear his vision, and was just starting to bring his surroundings into focus when he felt a solid fist connect with his jaw, sending his already damaged body sprawling over to the side.

Kakashi moved his injured body into as much of a defensible position as he could, and he tried to locate the source of the attack. Unfortunately, his vision was blurring again and he couldn't rely on any of his other senses. Still, they didn't make him Hokage for giving up when the odds were against him. So he waited for his attacker to come in closer and he tried his best to focus his chakra out in an attempt to sense any movement coming his way. It was a crude way to use his waning chakra, but it might just give him that split-second warning of another strike.

A moment later found him blocking a hit with his arms and gave him the opportunity to sweep his leg out to attempt to knock his attacker off-guard. Unfortunately he missed, but it was enough that he'd managed to keep his enemy from landing another head-shot. With each passing second, Kakashi's vision cleared a bit more, and although his hearing was still off, he was now able to see just where he was and who was attacking him. Unfortunately that knowledge did nothing to put his mind at ease as he was now face to face with a third member of the Akatsuki...although Kakashi couldn't place a name to the face. This looked to be someone his own age, with long red hair that was pulled into a long tail that was currently hanging over his right shoulder. Kakashi frowned...perhaps Pein was expanding his troops.

The black and red-robed man before him stared back with intense turquoise eyes, and Kakashi was so taken with the unique shade that he almost missed the movement of the man's hands as they wove a series of hand signs. Fortunately, the man's long fingers went through a pattern Kakashi was very familiar with, and so when the man set them into the final sign, he was already rolling out of the way of the water-whip that was headed straight for his neck. The scowl on the Akatsuki member's face brought a smirk to Kakashi's lips as he reached one hand up to trigger his radio to call for backup. Unfortunately the elastic strap that had held the equipment firmly in place on his neck was missing, likely another victim of the searing flame that had damaged his arms and legs.

Unable to send for help, Kakashi assessed his options. He could surrender – which, of course, was _not_ a real option...he could try a head on assault of the man in front of him – and likely end up captured in his current shape...or he could make a break for the gaping hole in the wall and bring this newest opponent out into the open where Kakashi's team would hopefully notice him. Kakashi sighed...given those choices, there really was only one acceptable option...make a run for it.

He continued to dodge the Akatsuki member in what he hoped would appear to be believable changes of position, and worked to move himself closer to the opening. At last, he saw his chance, and Kakashi wasted no more time as he lunged for the vaguely man-shaped opening in a calculated bid for freedom. Unfortunately, he'd failed to calculate in that this guy might actually have planned for such a move, so when his body hit the film of water stretched across that opening it was too late for him to avoid it.

That chakra-enhanced liquid wrapped itself around Kakashi's body snuggly and eliminated his ability to move even as he fell to the ground just shy of freedom. A harsh laugh from behind him let Kakashi know his hearing had finally cleared, but it also made it quite plain his enemy was pleased with his success.

"It's too bad Pein wants you alive, Copy-ninja. I would have enjoyed watching you drown."

With a bit of effort, Kakashi rolled his body over toward that voice and glared at the man who slowly crossed the floor to stand right in front of him. The man squatted and leaned his elbows on his knees, causing the tip of his long hair to brush against Kakashi's body, while taking the opportunity to stare down at him. The man's turquoise gaze swept over Kakashi's entire body before settling back on his face. He stretched one long-fingered hand over to push a bit more chakra into the water-bindings before he then removed every one of Kakashi's weapons and squirreled them away into his own pouches.

Kakashi growled when those fingers then moved toward his mask to curl under its edges. "Don't even think about it!"

The man chuckled as he peeled back the thin layer of material. "What's wrong Kakashi? It's not like all the other members of the Akatsuki haven't already gotten to see you unmasked. It's only fair that I should get to, too."

With that, Kakashi felt the air hit his exposed skin and watched as a slow blush crept across the man's face. He used that moment of distraction to his advantage and let loose a shrill whistle from his lips. The sound snapped his enemy out of his fog, and caused the man to quickly seal Kakashi's mouth shut with a layer of thick water. But Kakashi held onto the hope that his call for help had reached the ears of at least one of his teammates.

He grunted behind his water-gag as the Akatsuki member lifted him off the ground and started to move toward the far side of the room. The bonds around his body constricted against his burns and for a moment, the severe pain threatened to steal his awareness away once more, but not before he heard the low, menacing growl coming from the hole in the wall. Kakashi shifted his gaze toward that familiar sound and smiled behind his gag.

"Where do you think you're going with the Hokage, asshole?" Kiba Inuzuka stood just inside the room with his fangs bared and his nails looking more like claws.

Obviously the boy was using one of his man-beast jutsu, and Kakashi had never been so glad to see it in all his life. The slight tensing of his captor's arms let him know that the beast-like characteristics hadn't gone unnoticed by him either, and so he wasn't surprised when he found himself dropped unceremoniously onto the hard floor to free up the man's hands.

"That's none of your concern, boy. Leave while you can." The venom in that voice made Kakashi reevaluate his enemy, and for a moment he felt absolute fear for Kiba and Akamaru.

Matching growls came from the two near the wall. "Like hell! _Nobody_ gets to do that to Kakashi-sensei!"

A light chuckle came from the robed man. "Sensei, huh? That's just too funny. What's it that he ever taught you, kid?"

Kiba's lips pulled back into a menacing grin. "To never leave a comrade behind!"

Even as the words left his lips, Kiba and Akamaru launched themselves across the room in a blur of spinning teeth and claws. Kakashi watched as the man next to him shifted into a basic defensive stance and brought a wall of water up between them and the attackers in less than a heartbeat. He heard the yelps of pain from both dog and master as they slammed into the obstacle, and it was in that instant that Kakashi realized the bastard hadn't used water for the wall after all...rather, the stench of acid filled his uncovered nostrils. He shifted his gaze toward the man and was greeted by a look of sadistic pleasure that made it quite clear to Kakashi why the man was selected for the Akatsuki in the first place.

"What's wrong, Hatake? Did you think I'd give you up so easily?" He laughed. "Not with full membership being my reward! So you just be a good little Hokage and enjoy the show!"

Kakashi struggled against his bonds and cursed himself for thinking things would be any easier this time when compared to his previous run-ins with these crazy bastards. His heart raced as he watched the man form his fingers into another series of signs and he wondered what was next. But before the Akatsuki member could finish, a couple of thin metal needles breeched the wall of acid and pierced the man's arm and neck. Although the hits weren't accurate enough to disable or kill the man, they were enough to break his concentration on both the existing wall of acid and whatever jutsu he'd been in the process of creating.

Once that wall collapsed, Kakashi was greeted by the sight of Genma, Raido and Aoba surrounding them. With his vision now unobstructed, Genma quickly sent another round of senbon through the air...this time, Kakashi noted it was the jonin's favorite bone set...and he smiled at the knowledge that even one scratch from those needles would be enough to eliminate his captor. Of course that hope dissipated the moment the first one struck the red-haired man only to bounce off harmlessly. A glance at that man with his sharingan showed a shimmer of chakra-infused water covering him from head to toe...in a way that was far too similar to Gaara's ultimate sand defense for Kakashi's liking. Still, at least a few of the original senbon had found their marks.

The air was filled with the sound of cursing as his rescuers jumped and twisted to avoid the whips of acid that now sailed through the air at them, while the red-head cackled with psychotic glee. Kakashi couldn't stand fighting against the unstable ones...knowing that they could not be easily countered when they tended not to follow logical paths with their actions. This point was driven home quite well when the man stopped mid-attack and lifted Kakashi into the air and tossed him over his shoulder, driving the air from Kakashi's lungs once more.

He felt the man's chakra circle them, spinning faster and faster until it blocked out all sound and light. He tried squirming out of the man's vice-like grip even as he experienced the all-too-familiar lurch of a transportation jutsu take hold and pull him through space. When the unsettling feeling abruptly passed, Kakashi found himself falling heavily to the ground as the man carrying him collapsed underneath him. Before he had the chance to do more than groan, consciousness escaped him.

-- --

* * *

_'Wake up, Boy!'_

Naruto rolled over on his sleeping mat and tried to ignore the silky smooth voice running through his mind. The Fox, of course, didn't particularly like being ignored, and soon Naruto found his awareness pulled rather violently into his mind to be confronted by a very pissed off Kyuubi.

_'I've told you not to ignore me, Boy!'_ The Fox sent wave after wave of killing intent washing over Naruto, causing him to scowl as nausea flooded him.

He glared up at the enormous eyes staring out at him from behind the bars in his mind. _'And I told you not to disturb my sleep, bastard!'_

The killing intent lowered a bit and the Fox tipped its massive head to the side. _'Very well, Boy. If you wish to miss out on your chance to leave the others behind and catch up to your goal, then I will gladly let you sleep.'_

Naruto growled and lunged toward the Fox, gripping his hands around the bars tightly. _'What are you talking about you damn Fox?'_

Naruto could feel the glee roll off of the Kyuubi, but he didn't care...he wanted answers! The Fox lowered his head and stretched his lips into a fierce grin.

_'If you leave right now and follow the river north, you'll find where your dear Sensei has landed.'_

Naruto narrowed his eyes suspiciously at the beast. _'How they hell could you even know that?'_

The Kyuubi laughed. _'Are you really so ignorant that you do not recognize we have moved into my old stomping grounds? Ah – but I forget how young you are...and that no one likely spoke of the time before my capture.'_

Naruto sighed. _'Just get to your point, bastard...or let me go back to sleep already!'_

_'The point, Boy, is that I can tap into some of my old sources the deeper into this area we go...and those sources have let me know the Brat isn't where the Chunin is leading you.'_ The Kyuubi leaned forward until his hot breath caused Naruto's hair to move with each exhale. _'You _do_ still want to confront the Brat, don't you Naruto?'_

_'You already know I do.'_

_'Good. So do as I say and take advantage of your guard's lack of attention to slip away.'_

Naruto frowned. _'They're not my guards...they're my teammates.'_

The Kyuubi laughed once more. _'Most of them are, Boy. But the shadow-user has been watching you more than anything else. So whether you call him a teammate or a guard is just a matter of semantics. That man was sent to keep an eye on you.'_

Naruto shuddered at the thought that Shikaku Nara was on this team to watch him. Did that mean Pervy-sage suspected what he was after? He shook his head. There was no way. Hell, even _he_ didn't really know what he was after. Naruto sighed. _'If you're so sure Kakashi-sensei is somewhere other than where we're going, then why don't I just tell them so we can all go together?'_

The Fox rolled his eyes and made a clicking sound with his tongue against his teeth. _'Now why didn't I think of that? Oh wait – maybe because I recognized the fact these idiots don't _trust_ you! How do you think they'd react to you telling them your demon told you their Hokage wasn't where they thought he was?'_

Naruto frowned at the creature's logic. As much as he hated to admit it, the bastard had a point. _'Fine...then let me out of here so we can slip away before anyone notices.'_

The grin behind the cage widened. _'Of course, Boy. Just don't forget to use what I taught you back with the Toads so no one will be able to follow you. Got it?'_

Naruto growled once more. _'Are you positive this will work? Some of these guys are pretty good at tracking.'_

The Kyuubi's parting words echoed in Naruto's mind as he felt his awareness return to the outside world. _'The only shinobi who has ever been able to follow my trail is the very one we're heading toward. Isn't that fitting?'_

Naruto smirked at the thought of that, and quickly ran through the exercises the Fox had taught him over the past months when he'd been unable to learn any more from the Toad Sages. In mere moments, he had eliminated all traces of his scent and chakra and he moved silently through the campsite in the opposite direction of where he knew the current lookout was set up. He took one long look over his shoulder at where Iruka-sensei was curled up by the fire, looking like he was having a bad dream of some sort, before he glanced over to where Shikamaru's father lay flat on his back with his eyes closed against the stars' light. Resisting the urge to sigh out loud, Naruto turned away from them and quickly disappeared into the night...placing his trust in the beast he shared his body with.

He still wasn't one hundred percent sure what he'd do when he confronted Kakashi, but Naruto knew he'd at least demand to know if what the Fox showed him was true or not. Was it really true that his own father cared more about Kakashi than he ever did about his own newborn son?

Part of him wanted it all to be a lie – another half-truth twisted by the bastard demon – but with each passing day, Naruto felt a cold kernel of hatred form in his gut every time he thought of the silver-haired Hokage. He narrowed his eyes at the thought that Kakashi had even stolen _that_ dream away from him. After all, it was supposed to be _Naruto's_ dream to be Hokage...not that lazy-ass jonin's!

Naruto allowed the contented purr of the Kyuubi to bolster his choice of abandoning the camp and pushed on into the night with one thing firmly in his mind...he needed to find Kakashi Hatake and finally get to the bottom of all this.

-- --

* * *

Genma picked up one of his broken senbon and rolled it in his fingertips. "Dammit! I hate it when you're right kid."

"Sometimes I hate it too, Genma."

Shikamaru's voice sounded strangely tense for such a normally laid-back kid. Genma turned his head until the young chunin came into view and frowned. Dark circles could be seen under his eyes, and it was obvious he was taking Kakashi's recapture personally. Genma sighed and pushed himself back up to standing before shoving the broken pieces of his favorite senbon set into his weapons pouch.

"Listen Kid, Kakashi isn't going to hold this against you. You warned us all that this could be a possibility, so it isn't like he was _completely_ caught unaware. And if it makes you feel any better...I know that at least two of my senbon weren't recovered."

He watched Shikamaru's eyes light up with hope at his words. "Which ones?"

Genma held back the urge to chuckle at his reaction. He could almost see the gears kicking into overdrive behind the kid's eyes. The only other person he could ever expect such a question from was Kakashi...so at least now he was starting to understand why his friend had decided to include the kid in on this mission.

"They weren't the ones carrying lethal poison, if that's what you're wondering, Kid. But there was enough sedative on those two needles, that even if only _one_ of them managed to prick his skin, that asshole's out for at least half a day."

He watched Shikamaru's brow furrow and he twisted his fingers into the shape of a box while he was obviously mulling over the information supplied to him. After more than three solid minutes of silence the kid finally spoke whiling running one hand across his forehead.

"Is it possible the sedative would have taken effect in less than five seconds from when they disappeared?"

Genma scratched at the back of his head. "Based on the time of initial strike...if both hit...it would be closer to four and a half seconds."

"And if only one hit him?"

Genma tried not to be insulted by the comment...reminding himself that Shikamaru was simply trying to work through all the different angles. "If only one hit...hmm...closer to seven seconds."

Shikamaru's eyes closed and his hands returned to their previous position. This time he spoke after just a moment. "If we make the assumption that the ultimate destination of the Akatsuki member's jutsu was to bring the Hokage back to the heart of the Rain Village, we can extrapolate an approximate area where he would have dropped out of the jutsu if the sedative took effect anywhere from four and half seconds to seven seconds after they left. If we work on the basis that only one needle made it through, that gives us a half a day to cover more than thirty miles of ground between here and there, while avoiding any more of the enemy's forces that are likely to be out there as well." He opened his eyes and frowned. "That leaves us with approximately a seven-point-three percent chance of successfully locating the Hokage before the Akatsuki does."

Genma let a low whistle out through his lips. "I think I liked it better when I didn't know the odds."

Shikamaru shrugged. "They're better than a zero percent chance."

Now that made Genma laugh out loud. "I like the way you think, Kid. Let's get moving before those odds get any worse!"

With that said, the entire group was ready to move out in less than five minutes. Genma led the way, with an overly focused Shikamaru following closely at his heels. It was funny how Kakashi Hatake had managed to earn such fierce devotion from these kids of the new generation without having gone through half as much as those of Kakashi's own generation had gone through with him. It was just one more reason he figured the Copy-ninja was perfect Hokage material after all.

Of course, for himself, that loyalty had more to do with the many times...both on and off missions...that the two of them had pulled each others' asses out of the fire...both figuratively _and_ literally. Genma smirked at the memory of dumping a pail of ice-cold water on Kakashi's head after a drunken Asuma had mistaken the Copy-ninja's head for an ashtray after one too many bottles of saké.

Genma added a bit more speed into his stride. He _needed_ to rescue that stupid fool...just so there'd be a chance to create more memories of just that caliber. He owed it to the generations to come, after all...so they could all truly appreciate just what their Hokage was really capable of.


	4. Sometimes The Truth Can Hurt

Chapter 4

Sometimes The Truth Can Hurt

Naruto had been following the Kyuubi's cues for over three hours now, and he was just about fed up with this wild goose chase. How could he have possibly fallen for the damned demon's lies again?

_Shit...I should have realized the bastard lied to me! I mean, really...why the hell would the freaking fox suddenly be able to interact with the outside when all this time he's never been able to? Dammit...no wonder everyone keeps calling me an idiot...I can't even keep myself from being fooled by something so obviously stupid! _

The Kyuubi's voice running through his mind broke him from his thoughts. _'Stop whining, Boy. We're getting close.'_

Naruto slid to a stop and crossed his arms across his chest. "Bullshit! You've been saying that for the last half an hour!"

_'And for the last half an hour we _have_ been getting closer.'_

Naruto rolled his eyes. "That's just lame! Why don't you just admit that you have no idea where Kakashi-sensei is so we can head back toward where the others are before they get too mad at me?"

_'Have a little more faith in me, Boy! You'll find your precious Sensei just over the next rise.'_

Naruto narrowed his eyes and glanced in the direction the Kyuubi was talking about. "How the hell would you even know that, you stupid fox?"

Deep laughter rolled through Naruto's mind. _'My minions told me, of course.'_

"Your minions?" He rolled his eyes again. "Yeah, right! Why didn't I think of that?"

Just then, Naruto noticed a small red fox sitting on the rise and staring back at him as though it was waiting for him to join it. A moment later, and a second fox joined the first one, pausing in its approach briefly before it looked back over its shoulder toward the other side of the rise.

_'Are you just going to stare at them? Or do you plan on moving anytime soon, Boy? We need to get to the brat before the others track him down again.'_

Naruto scratched his head and then pointed toward the small foxes. "_Those_ are your minions?"

A low growl resonated through Naruto's mind. _'Of course they are! So why are you hesitating, fool?'_

Naruto couldn't help but chuckle. "I guess I just expected something a little more impressive than a couple of ordinary foxes, is all."

Naruto felt the Kyuubi's rage begin to build. _'If you want to see something truly impressive, Boy, get moving and bring me to the brat! Then I'll show you what impressive really is!'_

Something in how the Kyuubi phrased that made Naruto wonder if he should be worried about just what the beast was planning, but then he felt a soothing calm roll through his mind. _'Don't you want to know the rest of the story about how the Fourth Hokage traded your life for his? Or have you already decided your life is worth so much less than the brat's?'_

Naruto growled. "Stop twisting things, bastard. You already know I want to talk to him."

_'Then stop stalling and get moving!'_

Naruto sighed and took the first step toward the rise. The two small foxes yipped anxiously until he finally joined them, and then they darted ahead, leading him over the rise and toward what the Kyuubi insisted was Kakashi-sensei...and the answers to all of his questions. Of course, if that was really true, then why was it that Naruto felt so uneasy with each step he took?

_'There! Quickly now, Boy! We need to get him away from here before anyone has the chance of finding us.'_

Naruto pushed down his growing unease at just why the Kyuubi was so intent on keeping Kakashi-sensei away from everyone else, and moved to where the silver-haired jonin lay on the ground. His former teacher had definitely looked better. Currently the man was drenched to the bone and sprawled rather suggestively over the body of some long-haired, red-headed lady wearing the robes of the Akatsuki. Naruto chuckled at the sight.

"Wow, and I thought Master Jiraiya was a pervert! Couldn't you get a room or something, Kakashi-sensei?"

Naruto frowned. Kakashi made absolutely no sign to show he'd heard him. He stared at the silver-haired man, trying to determine if he was breathing or not. Unfortunately, the way the man was sprawled on top of the Akatsuki member made it impossible to tell. Naruto worked his hands under Kakashi's arms and pulled the unresponsive man away so he could try and figure out why he wasn't answering him.

"Oh shit!" The first thing Naruto noticed when he flipped Kakashi over was the way his arms and legs looked like they were on the wrong side of a fire ball. "That _had_ to hurt."

"_Is he breathing, Boy?"_ If Naruto didn't know better he'd have sworn the Kyuubi sounded concerned.

Naruto settled Kakashi onto the ground and moved the man's arms out of the way. Then he leaned over until his ear was placed on Kakashi's chest. Naruto let out a sigh of relief when he heard the steady beat of Kakashi's heart and felt the man's chest rise and fall in a steady rhythm.

"He's breathing!" Naruto leaned back and placed his hands on his knees before letting a grin stretch across his face.

One of the two foxes moved close enough to Kakashi to push its nose against the man's unmasked cheek. The only response was for Kakashi to let out a soft groan. Naruto frowned. How the hell was he supposed to get answers if the man wasn't able to speak? He smirked and chuckled to himself. At least this way Kakashi-sensei wouldn't put up a fuss when he realized they wouldn't be joining up with any other Konoha shinobi.

Naruto placed his hands in front of himself in the needed hand sign and created four clones to help carry the silver-haired jonin out of the area. He sighed. Now he just needed to figure out where to go.

_'Follow my minions, and they'll take you to the perfect place that will be private enough for you to question the brat to your heart's content.'_

Naruto nodded once and then glanced back at where the Akatsuki member was still lying face down on the ground. "What about her?"

_'Do you really need to ask? Kill her!'_

Naruto frowned. He'd never killed someone who wasn't actively fighting him. But this was a member of the Akatsuki, so maybe he'd be doing the world a favor if he _did_ kill them. Naruto took out a kunai and swallowed deeply before stepping closer to the woman's body. He could see two senbon wounds were still dripping a bit of blood, but the long, red hair made it impossible to see the face. Naruto furrowed his brow. He couldn't seem to bring himself to stab the lady in the back...it just seemed wrong in his book. Maybe if he rolled her over...

Naruto used his foot and pushed the red-head onto her back. He stared in confusion at the face that met his eyes. It was most definitely _not_ a lady after all. The man didn't look much older than he was, and he looked so helpless lying unconscious at Naruto's feet. Seeing the man's sleeping features actually made it worse for him.

_'He's the enemy. Kill him!'_

Naruto let loose a deep sigh. "I can't. It wouldn't be right."

_'And you call yourself a shinobi?' _The Kyuubi's disgust was easy to feel through their connection. _'Do you think your precious Sensei would have blinked twice before killing the man?'_

Naruto growled. "I'm not Kakashi-sensei!"

The Kyuubi snorted. _'Believe me, Kid, I know that.'_

Naruto sighed, placed his kunai back into his pouch, and turned on his heel to follow after his clones, ignoring the continued grumblings of the fox within his mind. He easily slipped back into the lessons the Kyuubi had taught him, making sure that his other selves were doing the same, so that no trace of their passing was left, and soon the clearing where they'd found Kakashi-sensei was far behind them.

* * *

Iruka woke up after a night of restless sleep and groaned as he sat up on his bedroll. He stretched in an attempt to loosen up muscles that had knotted up during the night. While part of that discomfort was likely caused by sleeping on the hard ground, he knew the rest was a direct result of the disturbing dreams he had suffered throughout the night.

Iruka sighed in relief when a resounding crack in his neck released some of the worst pressure he'd felt. He smiled to himself and took a moment to look over the rest of the campsite. The others had already woken up and were busily going about the normal tasks of a morning out in the field. Iruka noticed that even Naruto had somehow woken up before him. The boy's bed roll still lay in an unkempt mess, and Iruka chuckled at how some bad habits just never changed, no matter how much Naruto may have grown up.

Iruka ran his fingers through his hair and took a moment to catch up the loose strands that had pulled out of his hair-tie overnight. As he did this, he took another moment to observe everyone in the camp, and something he should have noticed immediately became crystal clear...Naruto wasn't in the camp. Iruka's heart skipped a beat, and he spent the next few moments trying to convince himself that the boy was probably just off gathering some fresh water, or in the bushes relieving himself. But those hopes disappeared the moment he saw the look on Shikaku's face as the Head of the Nara Clan walked across the camp to Iruka's side.

Never one to see the point in wasting words, Shikaku cut straight to the point. "Naruto is gone."

Iruka frowned and rose to his feet, voicing his thoughts from earlier. "Maybe he's just gone to fetch something, or answer a call of nature?"

Even as the words passed Iruka's lips he knew that they failed to ring true, so he wasn't surprised at the response he received. "Iruka-sensei, we have already scouted in the immediate area. There is absolutely _no_ sign of where the jinchuriki went."

Iruka's face twisted into a look of distaste at the older man's choice of words. "Do you really need to refer to Naruto in such a way?"

Shikaku shrugged and tipped his head slightly to the side. "It is a word that describes him as much as Sensei describes you."

Iruka sighed at the man's logic. "Is it possible you have missed something?"

A slight twitch in the heavily scarred face before him showed Iruka how close to insulting his comment was, and he very quickly tried to make amends. "Ah...forgive me, Shikaku...it's just that Naruto has been playing pranks for so long, that sometimes he doesn't necessarily take the expected paths to perform even the most normal of tasks."

At his words, thankfully, Shikaku's expression changed to one of deep thought, even as Iruka suppressed a sigh of relief at how close he'd come to insulting a shinobi who could very easily dispatch him. With a series of sharp hand signs, Shikaku communicated the need to broaden their search parameters to include the more unconventional means of travel, before he turned his full attention back to Iruka.

"You know the boy better than most, Iruka-sensei. I should have thought to ask for your input earlier."

Iruka frowned at that comment. "Earlier? Just how long ago did you notice Naruto was gone?"

Shikaku rubbed at the back of his neck while he tipped his head up as though he were trying to see what position the sun was in the sky. "Three hours ago."

Iruka's eyes went wide, and he felt the heat of anger flushing his cheeks while he clenched his hands into tight fists. "_What!_ Why the hell didn't you wake me sooner? What if an enemy has him! What were you _thinking?_"

Shikaku met his glare with eyes that held a razor-sharp edge. "I was thinking that we could perform a more efficient search without your emotions getting in the way. It appears I was correct."

Now Iruka knew his cheeks were colored more from embarrassment than anger as the jonin's words sank in. His shoulders sagged under the weight of the fact Naruto really was missing, and he hadn't even noticed until it was pointed out by Shikaku. He was pulled out of his self-loathing thoughts when Shikaku placed his hand on Iruka's shoulder.

"Although it's troublesome to admit it, none of us knew the boy was gone until this morning either."

The shadow of a smile crossed Iruka's lips at the man's attempt to provide comfort to him. Then he bit his lip as something crossed his mind. "Shikaku, do you think it's possible that Naruto might have decided to head toward the rendezvous point without us?"

"Hmm." Shikaku scratched at his temple. "It _would_ fall in line with how agitated the boy has been throughout our journey. And from what my son has told me of Naruto in the past, it does seem that he has never been one to willingly wait for something he feels strongly about."

Iruka felt the smallest bit of hope creep into his mind when he heard the jonin almost agree with his logic. And as Shikaku gathered the rest of the team together, Iruka went back to pack up his and Naruto's bed rolls. All the while, he hoped his theory wouldn't be proved wrong, and that once they found Naruto, the boy would be sitting next to the Hokage chatting away about something completely irrelevant. The crash of thunder through the air, and the growing gloom as storm clouds moved in, did nothing to instill Iruka's faith in his own hopes.

* * *

Kakashi's first lucid thought was that, wherever he was now, it smelled vaguely familiar...and not in a good way. There was the odor of old earth, fresh blood, and...damp fur? He cracked his eye open and tried to figure out just what new hell he'd fallen into this time. His vision, once it cleared, left him face to face with a small red fox. Well, at least that explained the scent of damp fur.

He tried to shift up off the hard ground and felt a sharp pain in his arms and legs. One glance at the burns covering his arms, and just like that...the memories of his battle with the unnamed Akatsuki member came crashing back into his mind. He tensed and wondered if this was another one of the Akatsuki's hideouts, and more importantly, where his enemy was. But a cursory scan of his surroundings showed nothing more than the walls of a good-sized cave, and a handful of red foxes that seemed more interested in grooming themselves than bothering with him...aside from the one that, even now, was pushing its small nose against his thigh. Kakashi reached down to push the creature away and was rewarded with a yip and a bite on his hand.

Kakashi growled and pulled his hand back. The fox simply sat down in front of him and curled its bushy tail around its feet. The small pink tongue darted out of its mouth to lick the blood off its lips, and its golden eyes watched him carefully. Kakashi frowned and pressed against the small bite-wound to stop the flow of blood.

This entire situation reminded him of a time when he'd been on a solo ANBU mission near Rain, and he'd had to crawl into a similar cave to avoid capture. Then, as now, he'd shared the hideaway with a family of foxes, and their added warmth that cold winter night had likely kept him from dying before help had found him. For months after that, other operatives in ANBU had gone out of their way to call him 'Red Fox' instead of 'Wolf'...but that all stopped the day of the Kyuubi's attack. After that, no one brought up that particular animal, even in jest.

Kakashi slowly pushed himself up into a sitting position, ignoring both the shooting pains in his limbs, and the warning growls of his personal watch-fox. His vision swam a bit from his change in elevation, and he had to close his eyes in order to keep a wave of nausea from taking hold. As he slowly regained his control, he heard someone, or something, coming in from the front of the cave, but he could sense no chakra from them.

"You're finally awake."

That voice...he knew that voice. But...that was impossible...wasn't it? There was a humorless chuckle from in front of him. Kakashi frowned and opened his eyes once more. "Naruto?"

Kakashi tried to shift his position and groaned in pain. "Stop trying to get up, Sensei. You're only going to hurt yourself more."

There was something in the tone of Naruto's voice that set Kakashi on edge, but before he could puzzle it out, he felt the boy's hands gripping him under his arms and pushing him back against the cave wall. Kakashi closed his eyes against another sudden wave of nausea that threatened to turn his stomach inside out, and concentrated on the young man who had inexplicably saved him from the very people who were hunting for the Kyuubi trapped within him.

Kakashi forced his eyes open and glanced at the blond-haired jinchuriki. "What are you doing here?"

Naruto's blue eyes narrowed at him. "That's a funny way of saying 'thank you,' Kakashi-sensei."

Kakashi sighed. "Sorry...but I thought you were away training with the Toads. You can understand my confusion, can't you, Naruto?"

Naruto didn't respond. Instead, a frown settled on the young man's face, and Kakashi noticed his hands curled into fists. "Naruto? What's going on? Where are we?"

Naruto's eyes went unfocused for a moment before he spoke. "You should already know where you are. He says you've been here before, after all."

Kakashi frowned. What the hell was going on? None of this was making any sense. "Who says I've been here before, Naruto?"

Naruto sat on the ground in front of him and scratched at the back of his neck. "You've met him before, you know. But before he says hello again, I'd like to ask you some questions."

Kakashi's head was spinning. "Naruto, this isn't exactly a good time for..."

"Yes it is! You aren't going _anywhere _until I get some answers. So just deal with it!"

Kakashi narrowed his eyes at the boy. "Naruto, don't make me pull rank on you."

Even without his sharingan, Kakashi could see the angry aura of the Kyuubi's chakra begin to seep out of Naruto's pores. That energy coiled around the boy, and when Naruto next met Kakashi's gaze, there was a definite red tinge to his normally blue eyes.

"You _would_ do that, wouldn't you? Well guess what...we aren't in Konoha right now...and here, being Hokage doesn't matter." Naruto lowered his head and the red-tinged chakra boiled up to surround him.

When he raised his head to meet Kakashi's eyes again, the clear blue was completely replaced by the slitted red of the Kyuubi. Kakashi swallowed back his surprise, and cursed the fact he had little to no chakra left after the battle he'd just barely managed to survive with the Akatsuki. If Naruto truly let the Kyuubi take over, he'd have no way of stopping it.

"Naruto...don't let this happen. You're better than this."

The chakra surged around Naruto, and Kakashi would have sworn he saw at least two tails sweep behind the boy. "What would _you_ know? You never paid any attention to me when I was on your own team!"

Kakashi kept hoping he'd wake up any moment now and find he was back in the Akatsuki's hands...because this version of Naruto was seriously starting to worry him. Especially when he noticed a third chakra tail sprouting from behind the boy.

"Naruto..."

"Fine! It was just going to be a few questions, but you're not willing to do this _my_ way...so we'll just have to do it _his_ way!"

Kakashi's eyes grew wide as a wave of the Kyuubi's chakra swept out from Naruto and headed straight for him. He tried to dodge out of the way, but without full use of his sharingan, his movements just weren't fast enough. His body tensed as the red curtain of chakra washed over him, and in one moment of excruciating pain, he found himself pulled into the shared mind of Naruto and the Kyuubi.

He landed in a heap in the middle of a dimly lit room. There was a thick red liquid covering the floor, and, as Kakashi pushed himself up to standing, he was surprised to find that liquid was deep enough to cover him just past his ankles. Thick metal pipes ran overhead, sending drips of what he hoped was water down to the floor. He looked around trying to find his bearings, and his attention was drawn to a set of thick iron bars set into the far end of the cavernous room. They ran from the floor straight up into the far reaches of the ceiling...or at least he assumed they did, considering he couldn't quite see the ceiling.

Kakashi could remember nightmares he used to have when he was just a kid that were frighteningly similar to this very room. Those bad dreams had started the day he'd discovered his father had killed himself, and continued right through to the day of the Kyuubi's attack. Until this very moment, he had always just assumed it was his mind's way of punishing him for being unable to stop his father from taking that final step. Now, as he shoved his hands into his pockets and slowly made his way toward those bars, he was beginning to think he'd been duped all along.

The closer he got to the cage at the end of the room, the more obvious it was that this had to be where the Kyuubi was being kept. This thought was reinforced when a pair of demonic eyes came into view over a massive row of razor-sharp teeth. The liquid on the floor started to bubble in front of the bars and moved forward to the area all around Kakashi's feet. He took the hint and stopped moving forward.

Kakashi hated not being in control, but even he knew that this was a situation that he'd have to ride out if there was to be any chance of surviving it. Kakashi shifted his attention to the left and saw that Naruto was leaning against a dark stone wall with his arms crossed. His face was no longer that of the clueless knucklehead that could make anyone around him give it one more try. No...the face that Naruto was showing Kakashi right now was that of a very angry young man. The question was, just what would make Naruto _this_ angry?

Kakashi turned to face Naruto head on. "Was it something I said?"

The boy growled...a sound that was duplicated at a much louder volume from the beast behind the bars. "More like something you _didn't_ say...same as always."

Kakashi's eyebrows lifted in surprise. He'd never heard such venom in Naruto's tone before, and he was at a total loss for what it was that he could possibly have done to elicit such a reaction. He sighed in frustration.

"Listen, Naruto...I'm tired, and I really don't have the patience for your games right now. Ask me your questions so we can all get back to fighting the Akatsuki, okay?"

From one second to another, streams of the bubbling liquid coiled around Kakashi's body and forcibly pulled him backward until he was pressed against the unyielding metal of the bars. His arms and legs were pinned, and a moment later he could feel the hot breath of the Kyuubi against the back of his neck. The creature made a show of sniffing in Kakashi's scent...going so far as to press his damp nose into Kakashi's hair.

Naruto stepped forward and glared past Kakashi at the Kyuubi. "Back off, Bastard-fox. I haven't even asked him my questions yet."

"_So ask them already. I've waited long enough as it is."_

For the first time in far too long, Kakashi felt the beginnings of true fear crawl up his spine. Naruto's comment made it sound as though he had a deal of some sort with the Demon-fox...and it seemed to Kakashi that _he_ was the bargaining chip.

Before he had the chance to comment himself, Naruto was leaning in until he was nose to nose with Kakashi. "Did you know?"

Kakashi blinked at the boy in confusion before reigning in his thoughts and responding in a slightly put out tone. "I've known a lot of things over the years, Naruto. You'll need to be a bit more specific than that."

Kakashi watched in amazement as Naruto's lips curled back to reveal how sharp and fang-like his teeth were. "Cut the crap, Sensei! Did you know what my _father_ was going to do?"

Kakashi frowned. _That_ was what had Naruto so worked up? His father's choice to seal the Kyuubi in him? He thought the boy had gotten past this by now. "Naruto, you know I did. I told you I was there. It was my job to distract the demon so your father had enough time to perform the jutsu."

Naruto slid his hand up to circle Kakashi's neck, and the boy's sharp nails bit into his skin. "Did you know, Kakashi-sensei...did you know _why_ he did it?"

Kakashi forced himself to remain calm as he stared hard into Naruto's red eyes, reminding himself that the boy was obviously under the Kyuubi's control here. "Everyone knows why he did it, Naruto. He did it to save the Village."

Naruto growled and squeezed tighter until Kakashi could feel the skin of his neck give way to the nails. "_Liar_!"

Thin trickles of blood made their way down Kakashi's neck, and he was finding it hard to remember that this was all just in his head. He struggled to speak as Naruto continued to apply pressure to his throat. "It's not a lie, Naruto...Minato-sensei had no other choice."

A deep-throated chuckle resonated behind Kakashi, reminding him that he and Naruto were hardly alone. _"Oh, but he did have another choice, didn't he Kakashi Hatake?"_

Naruto's grip loosened and he stepped to the side so Kakashi had a clear view of the scene unfolding just beyond where they were standing. The image flowed up out of the red-tinged water, and it only took a moment for Kakashi to recognize it...after all, it was a scene that frequented his nightmares over the years. A scene that, until this very moment, he'd assumed no one else had ever witnessed.

Minato-sensei stood in front of a much younger version of Kakashi who was in full ANBU gear, and held him firmly by the shoulders. Even though Kakashi knew what the man was about to say, it did nothing to soften the words.

"Listen to me, Kakashi. Stop thinking it's your job to save me! Dammit...I'm nothing special. But you...you have the chance to surpass even the White Fang! I will _not_ let you anywhere near that demon. Do you hear me?"

Kakashi cringed when his own words reached his ears. "I don't _want_ to be anything like _that man! _Sensei...don't you get it? The Village needs _you! I _need you! It's my job to protect you...even from yourself!"

Minato's head lowered until his bright blond hair rested on Kakashi's silver head. "Kakashi, you never cease to surprise me. But this time I need you to listen to me...not as your Hokage...not even as your Sensei...but as someone who cares whether you live or die."

"But Sensei..."

Minato knelt in front of him, the grip on Kakashi's shoulders never slipping. "Go back to the Tower and keep the Third Hokage safe."

Kakashi shrugged out of the grip. "But I can help!" The younger Kakashi unsheathed the blade from his back and channeled his chakra into it until the tanto glowed a bright white. He held it between them. "You _know_ this will hurt the Fox. Why won't you let me _use_ it?"

The look of absolute anger that seeped into Minato's face was something that, to this day, was etched into Kakashi's memories. It had been the only time he'd ever seen that fierce expression leveled at him by his Sensei...and as fate would have it, it was the last interaction the two had before Minato had sacrificed himself.

"Enough! You don't want me comparing you to White Fang, right? Well then, I've given you your orders, Hatake...now _follow_ them!"

With that said, Minato used his body flicker technique to disappear from Kakashi's side, leaving the young boy alone. The sting of those words left Kakashi feeling as though he'd been punched in the gut, and the white hot chakra dancing along his blade slowly dissipated in the wake of his shock.

The image shimmered and sank back down into the bubbling waters. Kakashi struggled against the chakra bonds still holding him firmly against the bars of the Kyuubi's cage as he felt the hot breath of the beast on his neck once more. He fought to keep his anger in check as he focused on Naruto, trying to block out the Fox's presence behind him.

He met Naruto's eyes with a half-lidded gaze. "Is there a point to all of this, Naruto? If you have questions about your Father you could have asked me at anytime."

An angry scowl settled on Naruto's face, and the boy stepped closer. "You still don't get it, do you? This isn't about me and my dad. Hell, there never _was_ a 'me and my dad,' was there? This is about the real reason I ended up with the Bastard-fox in me in the first place!"

Kakashi frowned. "Naruto, I was there, and I already told you..."

Naruto interrupted him by grabbing Kakashi's vest collar in his clawed hands and snarling. "You told me _nothing!_ You told me the same fairy story that _everybody_ told me. But it wasn't the truth, dammit!"

As the young man in front of him started to shake with barely contained rage, Kakashi felt at a loss for what the boy might be taking about. "If what I've told you wasn't the truth, Naruto, then you weren't the only one lied to."

Kakashi saw a flash of doubt cross Naruto's eyes and then he noticed the boy's focus shift to a point just past him. _'Perhaps the Brat needs a reminder of what has passed before, hmm?'_

The Kyuubi's voice held the edge of amusement to it, and it sent a shiver down Kakashi's spine. He hardened his gaze and locked eyes with Naruto once more. "Naruto, have you been listening to the Kyuubi's words all this time? Haven't we talked about this before? That creature has the ability to twist words more than the most cunning of the Council Elders."

Creases formed between Naruto's brows at Kakashi's words, but soon a disturbingly calm look settled on his face. "Are you saying the Bastard-fox lied about everything he'd shown me that you'd done as a kid?"

Kakashi sighed. "How can I know what the Kyuubi showed you, hmm? I told you that I had, indeed, killed many men, woman, and yes – even children – before I had reached my tenth birthday. But what does that have to do with anything, Naruto?"

Hot breath cascaded across Kakashi's shoulders and the Kyuubi's voice wrapped itself around him. _'I have only ever shown the boy the truth, Brat. Perhaps I should show you what I shared with him, hmm?'_

Before Kakashi had a chance to speak for himself, he watched a cruel smile pull at Naruto's lips. "Show him! Then we'll see what he has to say."

Naruto let go of Kakashi's vest and stepped back. The red-tinged water in front of them started bubbling violently until a scarlet mist rose to cover the area from the floor to the ceiling. As it settled back down, the sights, sounds and smells of the battle leading up to the Kyuubi's final attack on Konoha came into view.

Kakashi saw his younger self leaping in and out of the trees and bushes, stopping from time to time to get his bearings. Off to the north he could see where the Kyuubi stood, towering over the trees. With every swipe of one of the creature's nine tails another group of jonin were wiped out. More than once, the younger Kakashi had to dodge the bodies of his comrades as they sailed past him.

Kakashi could remember every detail of this scene with crystal clarity, and didn't really want to have to watch himself navigate the dead and dying bodies dotting the ground between where he was and where he knew he'd encounter the Kyuubi. So he decided to look around at the rest of the scene in an attempt to understand just where Naruto's unexplained hatred toward him was coming from.

He saw the beast on the far edge of the forest standing in front of where the Fourth Hokage stood atop Gamabunta's head. But, surprisingly, he didn't see either of them actually fighting each other. In fact, they appeared to be conversing in the middle of the battle. The Kyuubi kept his tails continuously moving, even as he was concentrating on where Minato-sensei was speaking to him, and this in itself kept all other shinobi far enough back that their conversation wasn't disturbed.

_'Can you guess what we were talking about, Brat?'_

The sound of the Kyuubi's voice made Kakashi's skin crawl. He struggled to keep his voice steady and disinterested. "It doesn't matter."

_'Oh, but it does. Your precious Hokage at that very moment placed your life above the safety of Konoha.'_

Kakashi closed his eyes – but the scene was not so easily escaped. "Minato-sensei would _never_ sacrifice Konoha for anyone...especially not me."

_'Perhaps you need to hear it from his own lips.'_

Kakashi opened his eyes and found he was now viewing the scene from the back of Minato's summon. His sensei held his fists tightly clenched at his sides. "What are you offering, Beast?"

The Kyuubi leaned a bit closer toward the Hokage, but the blond man held his ground. _'I am willing to leave Konoha untouched.'_

Kakashi saw Minato's eyes narrow. "I doubt you would do so without exacting a cost, so what are you proposing?"

Kakashi marveled at how, even in the face of this monstrosity, Minato-sensei was willing to listen to a possible diplomatic means of ending the battle with the least amount of blood-shed. He wasn't so sure that he'd be so calm about it in his position. Of course, that calmness wiped away from Minato the moment the next words came out of the Kyuubi's mouth.

_'A simple trade, Hokage. One small boy for the lives of your precious village. Surely you'll agree the cost is minimal. And this boy has no clan left to make this complicated. Give me the Hatake brat, and you will never see me again.'_

Kakashi saw Minato's eyes go wide at the Kyuubi's proposal. When he spoke next, there was venom in his voice. "Even if I thought for one moment that you would keep your word, Demon, what makes you think I would ever allow you to _touch_ Kakashi?"

The Kyuubi's growl made it clear he didn't appreciate the Hokage's answer. _'Make no mistake...I will find the boy, and take him by force. I gave you the option to end this peacefully, Hokage. Remember that as you village burns around you!'_

"You won't find him! He is somewhere safe from you." Minato took a step forward, but the Kyuubi was already turning away from him and heading back toward the Village.

From Kakashi's vantage point on top of Gamabunta's head, he saw the flash of silver weaving itself through the throngs of Konoha shinobi. And he heard Minato's pained cry when he saw his younger self ignite his chakra blade and run straight for the Kyuubi. Kakashi could still remember feeling the adrenaline rush of confronting the beast, and the flash of pride when his blade managed to damage the creature, when so many other methods failed to even scratch its hide. But now that he was watching it from this vantage point, Kakashi noticed things which he hadn't even registered at the time...like the fact the Kyuubi was deliberately moving _toward_ him, even though the blade was cutting him open in various spots.

In his peripheral vision, Kakashi noted that Minato had begun the string of hand signs that would be needed to perform his final jutsu, and he also noted that the closer the Kyuubi drew to the younger Kakashi, the faster Minato pushed himself through those hand signs. A moment later, and he watched his younger self stumble and fall to the ground, barely moving. Then he saw the Kyuubi bend his head closer to sniff in the scent of the boy deeply.

The creature leaned even closer to the younger version of Kakashi and spoke. '_At last, you will be mine.'_

A sick feeling slipped through Kakashi at the words that he'd never known were spoken, and it was in that moment that he recognized that things might not be as he had originally thought after all. His thoughts were confirmed when the Fourth Hokage's voice rang through the chaos.

"I won't let you have him, Fox! Not now – _not ever_!"

Kakashi watched in a daze as the Hokage's life-force was used to fuel his final sealing jutsu. A moment later, and he watched the Kyuubi throw his head back in pain and anger. He saw the beast desperately lunge forward, but it was useless. The final jutsu from the Fourth ensnared the beast and, with an unearthly howl of pain and frustration, the demon-fox's essence was pulled away from the unconscious form of the younger Kakashi and forced into the infant lying at the Hokage's feet.

The scene around him rippled and faded back into the water in Naruto's mindscape. Kakashi was still held securely against the bars of the Kyuubi's cage, and Naruto was now standing in front of him again. The boy's arms were folded across his chest, and his eyes held a hatred Kakashi would have never thought Naruto was capable of. And the worst part was that he couldn't blame the kid for it one bit after what he'd just witnessed. The question was, where did that leave them?

Kakashi took a calming breath and met his former student's eyes. "So what now, Naruto?"

"Can you deny that what he showed you is true?"

Kakashi sighed and frowned. "No, I can't."

The blond's face twisted into a pained look, but it was the Kyuubi who spoke next. _'Then now, Kakashi Hatake, the boy and I will find a way to remove this seal and free me.'_

Kakashi's eyes went wide, especially when he saw the look of agreement on Naruto's face. "Naruto, why would you even consider it?"

"Because the Bastard-fox has promised to train me for real...once he's merged with you. That's why."

Kakashi growled. "You can't trust the Kyuubi."

_'You need to go back now, Boy. Someone is approaching.'_

"Right. What about _him_?"

The Kyuubi chuckled darkly behind Kakashi. _'You keep his body safe for me, Boy, and I'll keep your Sensei entertained. Deal?'_

Naruto spread his lips into a smile, baring his slightly pointed teeth. "Deal! I'll be back soon."

With that, Naruto faded from view, leaving Kakashi alone with the Nine-tailed Fox.


	5. Memories

Chapter 5

Memories

Kakashi ran his tongue across his parched lips trying to add a bit of moisture, and he tried to remind himself...again...that this was _not_ reality. But the waves of heat surrounding him within Naruto's mind were getting harder and harder to ignore. He could feel the sweat dripping down his back and the super-heated air felt like it was scorching his lungs with each breath taken. He'd long ago gotten used to the thick red liquid boiling against his ankles, and his arms and legs were stiff from his inability to move them within their chakra bonds.

Still, this was no worse than any of more than a dozen previous times he'd been held prisoner in his lifetime. And Kami knows, some of those captivities had brought him to the brink of breaking. But this time was much closer to Itachi's Tsukuyomi than anything else. And if he was able to survive that, then he was confident he could survive this nightmare.

Kakashi felt the hot breath of the Kyuubi blow across his shoulders as the fox pressed his damp nose against the back of his neck once more. A moment later, and its tongue trailed across his shoulders. Kakashi suppressed the urge to shudder, and found himself reevaluating his current situation. After all, even the Tsukuyomi was lacking the one thing that made this imprisonment the most dangerous...the Nine-tailed Fox.

He tried to lean his body away from the bars of the Kyuubi's cell in an attempt to distance himself from the creature's tongue, but one well-placed claw hooked into his shoulder and put an end to his attempt. His body was pulled tight against the metal and the Kyuubi's deep laughter resonated through Kakashi's body. The amused tone of the fox did nothing to put him at ease.

"_Hold still, Brat."_

Kakashi fought down the urge to squirm, even as the accursed tongue swiped across the back of his neck this time. The claw at his shoulder dug in, breaking the skin and causing his blood to flow freely down his arm. Kakashi closed his eyes and focused on what was important. _This isn't real. It's all in my mind. There's nothing the fox can do to me here._

The claw dug a little deeper, breaking Kakashi out of his mantra. He opened his eyes and growled low in his throat.

"Release me."

Again, the fox's laughter surrounded him. _"I don't think so, Brat. I'm not finished here."_

Kakashi's stomach clenched at that thought. He'd been sure that once Naruto left and calmed down a bit, that the boy would return to this realm and realize just how insane all of this was. But it had already been hours since the knucklehead had left, and the boy had yet to return. Kakashi tried to figure out what exactly the purpose of all this was, and so far, every answer he came up with did nothing to set his mind at ease.

The claw in his shoulder was dragged backward and, this time, Kakashi couldn't keep the hiss of pain from escaping between his teeth. A satisfied sigh came from behind him a moment before the fox's tongue began lapping at the gouge it'd just caused. Kakashi's heart raced as his vision began to blur.

"What...are you doing?"

He felt the fox's lips on his shoulder curl up into what could only be a smile. _"I'm making sure you haven't changed."_

Kakashi frowned. "What the hell does that mean? Changed from what?"

"_Heh...you truly don't remember our first meeting, do you, Brat?"_

"Of course I do. I was fourteen. It was during your attack on Konoha."

The beast's laughter took on a decidedly pleased tone. _"Oh no, Brat. It was much earlier than that."_

Kakashi furrowed his brow. "What are you talking about? I'd never met you before that day."

The Kyuubi leaned in close to his ear once more. _"Ah, but you did. In fact, it's how you likely learned that your father's blade would injure me."_

Kakashi shook his head at the confusing words. "No. I knew that from what others had told me."

Even as the words had left his mouth, Kakashi knew they didn't exactly ring true. But if that was so, why couldn't he remember it?

"_Perhaps you need a little refresher on our first meeting, hmm? After all...it's something I will never forget!"_

Kakashi watched as the liquid around him surged into a frothing mass before it shifted to show him what he had to assume would be this meeting the fox kept hinting at. It didn't take him long to notice landmarks in the scenery that let him know exactly where this was. The wide stretch of water surrounded by towering Sakura trees in full bloom brought back memories of a much happier time. The bright pink petals danced along a subtle breeze before settling down to dot the smooth, dark waters of the lake.

Off to the side, Kakashi spotted the distinctive twisting trunks where three of the Sakura trees grew together decades before. His mind was pulled back to the last time he'd seen this spot, and the memories filled him with emotions he had thought he'd suppressed years before.

As if summoned by his thoughts, a flash of silver near the edge of the lake caught his eye. He focused there, and his breath caught in his throat at the sight of a much younger him...maybe four at best...out on the water's surface with his father standing next to him. The older man's voice carried across the water and held the firm tone it always held when his father was trying to teach him.

"That's right, Kashi. Keep adjusting the flow of chakra to make up for any variations in the density of the water."

He saw his younger self's brow furrow in concentration and knew what would come next, even if he hadn't expected it back then. His father pushed a bit of his chakra into the surrounding water and caused the surface to become even more unstable. Small waves were lapping against the younger Kakashi's ankles, and he managed to keep from breaking his concentration. But when another strong surge of chakra followed, creating a knee-high wave, that concentration broke and the small boy fell under the water in an instant.

Kakashi could remember what that cold water had felt like, and how he'd planned to get even with his father, but he'd never realized that the elder Hatake's normally stoic face had transformed into one of pure worry when Kakashi hadn't surfaced within the first two minutes. But, by the time Kakashi surged up behind the man and sent a small tidal wave to cover him, his father's look of worry had melted away into the one of shock and pride that had burned itself into Kakashi's memories.

That afternoon had been one of very few in which the two were able to spend time together. After all, Kakashi was busy with his studies at the Academy each day, and his father was always in high demand as Konoha's White Fang, which left very little spare time in the man's schedule. And, as usual, that time was spent honing Kakashi's growing shinobi skills. In fact, this very moment was the closest the two of them had ever gotten to playing.

For the next half hour the two of them sent torrents of water at each other, and dove in and out of the lake to try and ambush each other. When they were finished, they were soaking wet and exhausted, but both of them had wide smiles gracing their lips...one set behind a soaked mask.

Kakashi wondered how he had managed to forget this day. Or _why _it was forgotten, for that matter. But a moment later, the answer became all too clear. Along the far edge of the lake, Kakashi could see the telltale red aura that could only have been the Kyuubi. His younger self was lying on his back breathing deeply, completely unaware of the danger lurking so near. His father lay next to him, seemingly just as oblivious...which was a bit disturbing.

Surprisingly, his younger self was the first to tense as the fox moved closer. His father, meanwhile, still seemed to notice nothing out of the ordinary. It wasn't until young Kakashi placed a hand on his father's arm that the older Hatake showed any sign of acknowledging the disturbance. But the moment he did, his father jumped to his feet with his tanto firmly gripped in his hand. The man's deep voice held the air of authority in every word.

"Whoever you are, show yourself!"

From across the lake, the Kyuubi's laughter rolled toward them. The young Kakashi stood next to his father with a kunai clutched in one tiny hand. His free hand clutched his father's pant leg while he peered out across the calm water.

"Father, I can feel something..._bad_. What is it?"

His father placed one hand affectionately on Kakashi's head. "Stay here, Kashi. Whoever is out there doesn't belong here, and I just need the make sure they understand that."

The young boy's hand tightened in the cloth of his father's pants. "Don't leave me here, Father. Let me help!"

The elder Hatake pried Kakashi's tiny fingers free and met his eyes with the most serious look the small boy had ever seen. "If you truly want to help, Kakashi, then stay here where I won't worry about your safety."

A disappointed frown graced the boy's face. "Yes Father."

With that, his father ran across the water with his short blade shining bright white as his chakra ran up and down its surface. Kakashi saw his younger self watch the man go, and then he sank to the ground with a mighty sigh to sit and wait. The boy continued staring after his father, so when Kakashi saw a shimmer in the air behind his younger self, he knew that whatever was about to happen must have been what caused him to block this memory from his mind.

Behind the boy, a smaller version of the Kyuubi formed. Although it still bore nine tails, its form was only slightly larger than Sakumo had been, and the angry red chakra that Kakashi had witnessed destroying so many of his fellow shinobi the night Naruto was born didn't seem to be present. Young Kakashi's shoulders tensed and he threw himself to the ground just as a clawed paw swept at where his head had been seconds before. The fox chuckled and crouched low to the ground until he was eye to eye with the small boy.

"_That was very impressive. Not many can sense me when I don't want them to. Do you know who I am, child?"_

The young boy glared at the creature. "You're what I felt from the other side of the water."

The fox's mouth stretched into a large smile, its lips pulling back to reveal sharp, pointy teeth. _"Such a bright boy! How is it that I've never met you before, hmm?"_

"Where's my father?"

"_Oh, don't worry about him, child. He's busy right now...playing with my family."_

The fox took a step closer and the young boy scrambled backward. Unfortunately the boy hadn't noticed one of the fox's many tails snaking behind him until he tripped over it and fell into another one of the tails. That appendage coiled tight around the boy's body, pinning his small arms to his sides, and the tail lifted him off the ground and drew him closer to where the fox was standing.

From his current viewpoint, Kakashi could see the anger in his younger self's eyes as he tried desperately to squirm out of the confining tail. He was actually surprised that he hadn't shown any fear at that point. After all, he had only been four years old at the time. The Kyuubi's next words made it clear the creature had noticed this as well.

"_What a brave child you are. Why is it that you aren't afraid of me? Don't you know that I can crush you like a bug?"_

The boy glared back at the fox. "Try it. You'll find I sting more than any bug would!"

The fox laughed, causing the young Kakashi to frown in obvious annoyance. _"Perhaps I should just snap you in two and be done with it. Because I doubt that such a small pup like you could even scratch me, Brat."_

A quiet growl came from the boy's throat, sounding more pathetic than fierce. A look of sheer concentration covered young Kakashi's face, and his hands starting to glow with a familiar silvery-blue light. Those hands shifted until they could touch whatever part of the Kyuubi that was within reach. An unearthly howl filled the area before the boy was flung across the clearing and into the triple-trunked Sakura tree. He'd hit it with such force that the small trunk splintered and a flurry of blossoms cascaded down, covering the young boy's unconsciousness form once he'd slid down the bark to settle onto the ground in a heap.

The Kyuubi recovered quickly and walked over to where Kakashi was sprawled. It used a claw to hook into the youngster's shirt and roll him onto his stomach. A spot of bright red stained the back of the boy's hair, and the creature leaned closer. It sniffed the boy from head to foot before running its tongue along the wound and humming in something close to glee after tasting the blood.

At that very moment Sakumo arrived, looking more than a bit worse for wear. The man growled and launched himself at the beast that was hovering over his fallen son. Kakashi had never seen such a look of fierceness on his father's face before, and only now was he beginning to recognize just how strong that man truly was. The tanto was ablaze with his white chakra, and that seemed to be enough to get the Kyuubi to back away.

"Stay away from my boy!"

The Kyuubi sat on its haunches and watched as the father checked for some sign that his only son was still alive. A low groan from the still unconscious boy was all he needed to hear before he turned his full attention back to the fox.

Meanwhile, the Kyuubi seemed content to simply watch the display, while it licked the remaining blood off its lips. When Sakumo stood in front of him again, the fox lowered his head to stare directly into the man's eyes.

"_I see you survived my minions. How fortunate for you."_ The red-furred head tilted toward where young Kakashi was starting to stir. _"What do you want for the boy?"_

A complete look of shock settled onto Sakumo's face for a handful of breaths before he regained his composure enough to respond. "Nothing!"

The Kyuubi took a step closer, grinning at the man. _"So then you give him willingly to me?"_

Sakumo raised his blade between them, allowing the chakra to flare. "Never! As long as I live, you will _never_ have Kakashi!"

The Kyuubi sat back once more and seemed to be mulling the White Fang's words over in its mind. A grin stretched across its face as it stood tall once more.

"_Agreed! I will wait to claim the pup until you are dead and buried."_

With that, the beast disappeared in a cloud of red-tinged smoke, and the scene faded from view. Kakashi frowned as he tried to make sense out of everything he'd witnessed. The Kyuubi leaned its nose against his neck once more before speaking quietly into Kakashi's ear.

"_Can't you see, Brat? After all this time, I'm only laying claim to what is mine by right."_

* * *

Genma looked down at the body sprawled on the ground and frowned. It was definitely the Akatsuki bastard who had taken Kakashi from them, but the question was...where the hell was Kakashi? Based on where they'd found this guy, it was obvious he'd been hit by both senbon, and the slow-acting poison had kicked him out of his jutsu just as Shikamaru had predicted. But that should have meant that Kakashi would have exited the jutsu at the same time.

Genma chewed thoughtfully on his senbon as he knelt next to the unconscious enemy. He placed one hand on the dirt next to the body and ran his fingers through the drying mud. He turned his head slightly until he could see that the front of the Akatsuki's member's robe was covered in that same mud. Somehow this bastard was rolled over. The question of the day was just how it had happened. After all, Genma knew the properties of the poison he'd introduced with his senbon meant this fool wouldn't be able to do anything for himself for nearly a full day after he finally woke up. And considering the man was still unconscious, there was no way in hell he'd rolled himself over.

Genma ran his hand along the back of his neck and took a closer look at the ground surrounding him. A few feet away was another patch of mud and, more importantly, signs that someone else had been there. There were several footprints near the area where Genma was pretty sure his friend had been laid out, and a definite hand-print too. What was confusing him at the moment was the fact that there were dozens of footprints all around the muddy spot. It looked like whoever had been here had danced around Kakashi's body. But that made no sense.

A single word spoken near him broke him out of his thoughts.

"Clones."

Genma tipped his head up to see Shikamaru standing next to him with his hands shoved in his pockets and his shoulders slouched. "Clones?"

Shikamaru nodded once. "Every print is identical in size, shape and depth of impression. And there are indentions in the mud at the points where Kakashi's ankles and shoulders would have been. They carried him out of here."

Genma glanced back at the ground and saw what he'd missed earlier. "Right. I suppose that makes sense. But if there were that many people here, where the hell did they go? There's no sign of anyone leaving this very spot. Not a single footprint leading out of this place."

A drawn out sigh made it clear that Shikamaru didn't know the answer to that question either. That in itself made Genma frown. After all, the kid was a friggin' genius. And if he couldn't come up with an explanation then they were royally screwed.

Genma pushed himself up and stood next to the youngest Nara. "What do you suggest, Kid?"

Shikamaru frowned. "It's troublesome that we had to leave Ino, Kiba and Akamaru behind."

Genma grunted his agreement. When they first started out on this latest trek, the entire team was still together. Unfortunately Sakura and Ino weren't able to counter all of the damage done to Kiba and Akamaru by the Akatsuki's acid attacks. Because of that, only a half hour into their journey they'd needed to leave the Inuzuka and his companion behind. Ino had volunteered to stay behind with the kid and his dog to try and work on the injuries a bit more. That way Sakura would still be with them to work on Kakashi once they found him.

At the time, it had seemed like the logical choice. Now, however, it turned out that their absence meant they couldn't use their scent tracking skills to narrow down the direction Kakashi was likely taken. And worse than that, they had no way of knowing if Kakashi was in enemy hands or not. And without Ino on hand, they wouldn't be able to get any information out of the Akatsuki member until the man woke up.

Genma hated this. He hated not knowing if his best friend was alive or dead. He hated feeling like every choice he made was doomed to fail. And he hated that the rest of the group was currently waiting for him to make the next move.

Genma released a slow breath and shifted his senbon from one corner of his mouth to the other with the tip of his tongue. "Neji...front an center!"

Less than a moment later and the Hyuga lad was standing in front of him, waiting for his orders. "Neji, I need you to do a complete scan of the area."

Neji frowned. "I've already done that, Genma. There are no signs of which direction the Hokage was taken. No prints, no lingering chakra signatures, no disturbances of the foliage...nothing."

Genma grinned at the dark-haired youth. "Do it again, Kid. Only this time I need you to look for what _isn't_ there."

"What _isn't_ there? Explain!"

Sometimes Genma wondered if there was a Hyuga alive who didn't sound eternally constipated. But he was saved from having to explain to the kid when Shikamaru's genius brain seemed to finally kick in.

"What Genma is saying is that you need to find the area where there are fewer animals and insects around than in any other direction. We can't be more than an hour or two behind whoever took the Hokage, or the areas of mud would be dried up already. And even the absolute best shinobi can't hide from every creature in an area."

Neji's eyes had narrowed at Shikamaru's words before taking up where the Nara had left off. "So it stands to reason that the area with the least amount of activity is likely the direction our unknown targets went. Creatures tend to return to disturbed areas slowly, after all."

Genma grinned widely at the two teenagers. "Exactly!"

The two boys frowned at him with a strange look in their eyes, making Genma think he had grown a second nose. "What?"

The boys looked at each other a moment before Shikamaru turned back toward Genma and shrugged. "We never expected something like that from you."

At that comment Genma threw his hands up and shook his head. "I swear to Kami, if I'd known hanging out with a genius would automatically make everyone assume I had pudding in place of a brain, I never would have become friends with Kakashi in the first place!"

When the two boys just kept staring at him, Genma shoved his hands deep into his pockets and glared at them. "Is it really so hard to believe that I might have come up with something brilliant on my own?"

Again, Shikamaru shrugged. "Yes, it is."

Genma rolled his eyes and turned his attention to the Hyuga boy. "How about we save this discussion until _after_ we've tracked Kakashi down? Neji, get to work."

The dark-haired boy became all business and activated his dojutsu before beginning to scan the surrounding area. Genma left him to do his job in peace, and crossed over to where Sakura was crouched on the ground, staring intently at one of the muddier areas. The girl acknowledged his arrival with a small nod before motioning for him to take a look at what she'd found. He knew better than to argue with the pink-haired kunoichi, and crouched down beside her.

"Genma, something doesn't feel right about this. I can understand why someone would take Kakashi-sensei. He's Hokage, after all. But why leave this guy here?"

Genma scratched at his ear while he chewed on his senbon. He'd been wondering the same thing. "Maybe they didn't want to piss off the Akatsuki?"

Sakura snorted at him. "Right...and taking away Kakashi from one of their own won't piss them off?"

Genma frowned. "Hey, I'm just offering up suggestions. But I can see your point."

Sakura turned back toward the unconscious man. "And why did they roll the guy over and risk waking him up? None of this makes any sense."

"I agree. But that doesn't matter right now. Neji is working on finding us a direction to search in, and then we can ask whoever has Kakashi those very questions. Okay?"

Sakura sighed and pushed herself back up to standing. Her deep green eyes showed her apprehension. "Do you think Kakashi-sensei will be okay, Genma?"

He chuckled. "Knowing that pain in the ass, he's probably overpowered whoever it is that took him and is lecturing them on the stupidity of trying to capture the one and only Copy-ninja."

Sakura smiled and laughed a bit with him. "That, or he's trying to convince them all of the virtues of _Icha Icha_."

Genma smiled back at the girl and nodded toward where Shikamaru and Neji were standing. "Go on, Kid. Let me know when Creepy-eyes figures out where we need to go."

She nodded once and walked away without another word. Genma noticed Choji walk over to join her, passing her a bag of his chips. Genma smirked as the kunoichi accepted them and he wondered if the girl even realized she was being hit on by the Akimichi. He turned back to face the Akatsuki member lying before him. "And what about you, hmm? What am I supposed to do with you?"

"You already know the answer to that one, Genma." Raido crouched down on the other side of the enemy.

Genma sighed and pulled out one of his bone senbon from his pouch. "I know, I know. I just never like doing it this way. Feels a bit too, I don't know..."

Aoba tipped his head to the side. "A bit too easy?"

Genma frowned at him. "No...dishonorable."

Raido and Aoba both looked at him like he'd lost his mind. And honestly, he was starting to think maybe he had. After all, if he failed to finish this guy off now, it would just allow him to attack them again later. It wasn't like the guy would wake up and decide to stop being an evil bastard just because he'd let him live. No...he'd seen too many times where a similar mistake was made and far too many people died because of it.

Genma slid the bone senbon into the man's bared neck and withdrew it once he was certain a lethal dose had been absorbed. He placed the used needle into a second pouch and stood up. The two men continued to watch him as though expecting him to break down and cry over the fool he'd just killed. Genma shook his head at his teammates.

"Stop staring. Search the body and take anything useful. Then dispose of him."

That said, Genma turned on his heel and started toward where Shikamaru was signaling that Neji had finished his scan. He couldn't help but grin when he heard Aoba's voice behind him.

"Why is it that we always get stuck with _his_ cleanup?"

* * *

Iruka had never felt so miserable in his entire life. The team had pushed on through the night in the hopes of picking up some sign of where Naruto had gone to, but all they'd managed to find was one of the worst rain storms any of them had ever had the misfortune of getting caught in. It was one of those storms where the rain came at you from every direction. It made visibility close to zero percent, and sensing chakra signatures nearly impossible. And, of course, it just _had_ to be freezing cold. The drops themselves were so fine that they managed to drive themselves right through their clothing, so that every single one of them was soaked to the bone after only the first twenty minutes.

Now, four hours later, with his uniform sticking to him in places it should _never_ be sticking to him, the only thought in Iruka's mind was that when they finally met up with Kakashi Hatake he was going to stick his silver-haired head into a pot of ice water until the Sixth Hokage got even the slightest idea of how miserable the rest of them were at this very moment. Who in their right mind sets up a meeting in such a damp, inhospitable location in the first place? Hadn't the stupid fool ever heard of something called an Inn?

Iruka shivered when a stray breeze chilled him to the bone. According to Shikaku, the coordinates delivered by Kakashi's hound at the start of this nightmare were just ahead, and of course, all that lay ahead of them was more empty road and driving rain. Iruka tried to ignore the cold and muttered to himself.

"Stupid, inconsiderate, self-absorbed man."

"I do hope you aren't talking about me, Iruka-sensei."

Iruka stopped moving and snapped his head up to where he'd heard a familiar voice. One he hadn't heard in a very, very long time. Unfortunately all he could see through the driving rain was a vague silhouette. Could it really be him? He narrowed his eyes trying to see through the curtain of rain.

"Sasuke?"

A dry chuckle met his query, and the dark figure in front of him took another step closer until Iruka could start to make out some detail. The dark hair was longer than Iruka remembered, but who else had twin sharingan eyes? One more step forward and that question was answered in a way that sent a new level of cold coursing through Iruka's body. His eyes went wide as a single name fell from his lips like a curse.

"_Itachi!"_

Iruka felt his awareness slip away as his eyes locked with the swirling tomoes within Itachi's sharingan eyes. His last conscious thought was how glad he was that Naruto wasn't with them right now.


	6. Surprise Packages and Desperate Plans

Chapter 6

Surprise Packages and Desperate Plans

It had been nine days since Okaeshi and his fellow shinobi had left the comfort of the Shadow Shuriken Inn at the outskirts of Cloud. Nine very long days of listening to Ban'yuu go on and on about how unfair it was that they were being sent out on such a fool's mission. Granted, Okaeshi agreed with that sentiment himself, but that didn't mean he was okay with hearing about it over and over and over again.

He'd actually stopped answering the endless questions Ban'yuu had continued asking him when it became clear that the man wasn't listening to him at all. So now, as the darkening storm clouds gathered over their heads, the last thing Okaeshi really wanted to do was to hole up in a cave to wait out the worst of the coming rain, making him a captive audience to the annoying man. Maybe he could convince the fool to continue on until nightfall. That would bring them that much closer to fulfilling this mission, and that much closer to getting away from Ban'yuu once and for all.

Okaeshi patted the pocket of his vest where the small trinket that they needed to deliver sat, and he let out a long sigh. He realized there was one major flaw to his plan. There was no guarantee that they'd manage to find another suitable cave, or any other shelter, if they continued on past this point on the road. And the only thing worse than being subjected to his companion's views within a confined space would be to do so while dodging lightning bolts and the torrential downpours that would surely accompany the oncoming storm.

Shifting his pack on his shoulder, Okaeshi turned off of the road and headed toward the secluded cave that he'd stumbled upon a few months back. Hopefully the family of foxes that he'd had to chase out the last time were gone by now.

"Where are we going, Okaeshi? It makes more sense to keep going until dark, doesn't it?"

He glanced over his shoulder toward where the newly promoted Cloud Village chunin stood with his hands perched on his hips, and his long brown hair falling over his eyes. Okaeshi bit back the scathing comment that he wanted to make, and he used this opportunity as a chance to teach the boy a bit more about his surroundings.

"Do you see those dark clouds hanging low in the sky? I reckon they'll be over us in less than four minutes."

The younger man frowned and turned toward where, even now, the ominous clouds were rolling toward them. "So what? It's only rain. It's not like we're made of sugar. Besides, we can probably make it to the next village long before the first drop finds us."

Okaeshi was about to tell the chunin just how wrong he was, when a bolt of lightning streaked through the air and struck a tree just a bit in front of them. He looked back up at the bank of clouds and cursed his luck. The storm was moving much faster than he'd first thought, and by the look of it, this was going to be one hell of a rainstorm.

He glanced over to where Ban'yuu was still visibly shaken by the proximity of the the lightning strike and he smirked. "Do you still want to continue on?"

"N-no! I mean...if _you_ think we should stop, than who am _I_ to argue?"

Okaeshi shook his head at how quickly the chunin's mindset had changed. "Okay, then let's get moving before we get drenched."

Of course, the moment that those words had left his lips, the first fat drops of ice-cold rain fell upon the top of Okaeshi's bald head. He growled and broke into a quick sprint, trusting that he still remembered just where the stone hole was located. And sure enough, a few moments later brought them to where the dark opening of the cave sat partially hidden by the undergrowth.

He motioned for Ban'yuu to follow him in, and thought for certain the younger man was about to argue over his choice of cover, when another bolt of lightning streaked through the sky to set a nearby tree ablaze. In less than a heartbeat, Ban'yuu sped past him and nearly dove through the narrow opening to the cave. Okaeshi chuckled to himself as he followed the younger man. He paused just long enough to use one of the blankets from his pack to create a bit of a covering over the entry in the hopes of keeping most of the coming rain from pouring through the opening. Once that was secure, he made his way to where he knew the cave opened up into an area that would be more than large enough for the two to wait out the storm in relative safety and comfort.

Before he reached that place, however, he found the younger shinobi blocking his way. Okaeshi let out a frustrated sigh. "Move all the way in, Ban'yuu. It's much bigger the farther you go."

The chunin didn't move forward at all, and instead turned toward him with his finger pressed against his lips. "Shhh! Not so loud! There's somebody already in there!"

Okaeshi rolled his eyes. "It's probably just the family of foxes that were here the last time I used this cave."

Ban'yuu glared at him. "I can tell the difference between a fox's essence and a human's you know."

He frowned at the boy before he reached out with his own chakra to get a sense of who, or what, might be lurking within the cave. He really didn't want to admit it out loud, but it appeared Ban'yuu was correct about it being a human. Fortunately all he could find was a very weak presence. With luck that meant it was just a civilian and not anything for them to worry about until the storm moved off.

A resounding crash of thunder shook the very ground they were standing on and made it clear that it wouldn't be ending anytime soon, so Okaeshi motioned for Ban'yuu to continue into the largest part of the cave. Once they were both inside, they cautiously approached the form that was slumped against the back wall. In the gloom of their surroundings, all that they could make out was the fact that, whoever this was, they were obviously unconscious. Silvery white hair covered the person's features as their chin seemed to be resting on their chest, and the first impression Okaeshi had was that this was likely some old man who'd worn himself out and was using the shelter to rest until he could return to his home.

Of course, that impression fell away the moment they moved closer and he saw the glint of chakra wire bound around the person's legs and body. Instantly wary, Okaeshi signaled for Ban'yuu to be on guard, while he tried to sense the presence of whoever it was that had applied the chakra wire to this man. Once he was certain no one else was in the cave, he moved over to get a better view of just who they'd stumbled across that would be so dangerous that, even unconscious, he was left bound so tightly.

Okaeshi took in the fire damage along the unknown man's arms and legs before he threaded his fingers into the mane of silver hair and tugged back. He pulled until the head lifted far enough for them to see just who this was. His eyes went wide and he released his grip before jumping backward, nearly knocking Ban'yuu off his feet.

"What's gotten into you, Okaeshi? Since when does an old man scare _you_ of all people?"

He ignored the chunin's words, and ran shaking hands over his sweat-covered head. He looked over at where the silver-haired man was still unconscious against the wall of the cave, and he couldn't believe what he'd seen. But if the mop of unruly silver hair hadn't been enough to mark the man's identity, the long scar bisecting his left eye was more than enough.

Okaeshi let out a harsh breath. "Shit...shit...shit."

Ban'yuu placed a hand on his arm. "What's got you so jumpy?"

Rather than trusting his voice at that moment, he pulled out his well-worn Bingo Book and flipped to a dog-eared page with practiced ease. He thrust the book into the chunin's hand while he tried to puzzle out just what to do next.

He heard the surprised gasp from his partner and knew what the boy would say next. "Are you trying to tell me _that_ is the great and powerful Copy-ninja?"

Okaeshi rubbed a hand across the mass of scar tissue on his shoulder. It had formed from a serious injury he'd received during a fight some fifteen years earlier. His injuries were minor when compared to the dozens who had lost their lives that fateful day. After all, he had been fortunate enough that he'd been battling one of the Copy-ninja's companions. Had he been against the great Sharingan Kakashi, he'd likely have been slaughtered, just like every single one of his friends had been when they'd tried to capture the man.

When Okaeshi finally spoke, his words were thick with remembered sorrow. "Do not let his appearance fool you. There is a reason that his profile says to flee on sight. To match steel with this man is to invite death."

"So then who would have been able to catch him?"

A chill crept up Okaeshi's spine. He'd been wondering that same thing. Although at least now he could understand why the unconscious man was wrapped in chakra wire. And quite honestly, he actually doubted that even that would be enough to hold the shinobi should he awaken.

"Up to this moment I didn't think anyone alive could have managed this. But we should thank Kami that whoever it was doesn't seem to be here at the moment."

"So what do we do now? Kill him?"

Okaeshi blinked back his surprise at the normally gentle chunin's suggestion. "I suppose we should, but what made you ask?"

Ban'yuu gave him back his older Bingo Book before handing him the newest version that he'd received along with his chunin vest. He pointed at the bottom of the page with one stubby finger. "It says here that the bounty on this guy's head will be _quadrupled_ if he's brought in alive. With that much money we could both retire!"

Okaeshi stared at the line the kid was referring to. It showed a very hefty sum with proof of the Copy-ninja's death. And, sure enough, the footnote after the amount did actually show the promise of four times that amount if he was delivered alive to a very specific collection point.

That collection point was actually only a few days travel to the west...just outside of Rain. And it was actually on the way to where they needed to go anyway. The question was whether or not they could manage to get the man to that collection point before whoever had caught the Copy-ninja in the first place noticed his prize was missing. After all, if someone was strong enough to subdue a legend, then surely he and Ban'yuu wouldn't stand a chance against them.

He glanced over to where the captive hadn't moved during all this time. Perhaps if they added chakra seals to the man and headed out during the rain storm in order to hide their scent and tracks...hmm...that just might work! Okaeshi sank down to the floor of the cave and tried to puzzle the specifics out.

* * *

Naruto stayed perfectly still while the two strangers seemed to be trying to decide what to do with Kakashi. At first he had feared that they might try to kill his former sensei, but thank Kami for whoever added such an incentive to the Bingo Book that it meant that they would be eager to keep the man alive.

He really wasn't sure what he should do in this situation. Well, he knew what the Kyuubi would want him to do...kill the strangers outright. But these men had done nothing more than stumble into the cave to get out of what sounded like one hell of a storm. And, to be fair, they hadn't really made any threatening moves toward Kakashi yet.

Heck, they'd even complimented Naruto for capturing the Copy-ninja in the first place! Of course, he really hadn't done anything but move the already unconscious man from one point to another, and wrap him in chakra wire, but he certainly wasn't going to point that one out.

Confident that the two men weren't planning to go exploring any farther into the cave than where they were now, considering they both were too busy staring at Kakashi to even realize that _there_ was more to the cave than that initial opening, Naruto decided to return to where he could get some guidance. He closed his eyes and allowed the slight tug that was always present in his mind to guide him back to where the Bastard-fox was holed up.

The familiar feeling of falling ended when his feet settled in the red-tinged waters of his mind. After so many visits to this place, he barely disturbed that liquid anymore. But before he could allow an ounce of pride into his mind, he was met with the stern voice of the Kyuubi.

"_After all this time you still haven't learned a thing! You're supposed to be a shinobi! Why would you leave your enemies alive?"_

Naruto sighed. He was never going to get used to the feeling of disappointment he'd get every time the conversation took this turn. "We don't even know that they're the enemy, so how about you give it a rest?"

The water around his feet boiled while the beast growled from behind the bars. _"I'll give it a rest when you prove yourself to be something more than a naive child!"_

"Leave...him...alone..."

It took Naruto a moment to recognize that voice. It sounded so tired, and more than a bit raspy. He looked toward where he'd left the silver-haired jonin, and was surprised that the man wasn't there. Fear bubbled up into his throat. Had he made a mistake leaving the man alone with the Kyuubi?

"Kakashi-sensei?" There was no answer. Naruto moved closer to the bars. "Where'd you put him?"

The Bastard-fox's laughter filled the air. _"Calm yourself boy. The brat is perfectly safe."_

"Yeah, right. How about you let _him_ tell me that?"

Again the laughter wafted out around him. _"You heard the boy, Brat. Speak up!"_

Naruto's eyes went wide when a pained groan came from just the other side of the bars. "What the hell? What's he doing in _there?_"

The demon's nose pressed up against the bars. _"What's wrong, Boy? Are you jealous that you've never been brought inside?"_

A growl came from within the Kyuubi's cage, but it was clear at once that it wasn't from the fox. "I told you...to leave...him..._alone_!"

"_Or what, Brat? You are in no position to make demands of me."_

He watched the beast lower his head and nudge against something on his side of the bars. A pained hiss was all he needed to hear to know exactly where his sensei was. Naruto moved closer until he could just make out the jonin's back pressed against the wrong side of the bars. The man's head was lowered toward his chest, while his arms and legs were held against the bars with the Bastard-fox's chakra. Ever so slowly that silver head lifted until its owner had a clear view into the demon's eye.

"You forget...your place, Kyuubi."

The next thing Naruto knew, the demon's howls echoed throughout his mind. He placed his hands over his ears, but the sound echoed from within. Naruto felt like he might go mad from the raw anger that flowed out from the mighty beast. Then, just as quickly as it started, it was over, leaving him gasping for a full breath.

"What the hell just happened?"

After more than a few moments of tense silence, the Kyuubi growled out his response. _"It doesn't matter, Boy. It's what is happening right now that should concern you."_

Naruto scratched at the back of his head. "What are you talking about?"

"_The Brat has had his chakra sealed. And by the feel of it, his body is being moved away from the cave."_

"What! No way! The storm's not even over yet!"

Another growl silenced his rant. _"That is why you should have killed them in the first place! Now get a move on it, and get the Brat back!"_

* * *

Kakashi couldn't believe how close he'd been to breaking free of this mental prison. Using his sharingan at all had been a gamble, considering that in the physical realm the eye was just this side of useless. But he'd hoped that what he couldn't do outside his mind might prove possible here.

Still, it had taken far more concentration than he'd expected, but he'd finally been able to trigger his sharingan eye in such a way that he was actually managing to sever the connection between himself and the Kyuubi. But just when he had thought he'd gained the upper hand, the chakra being feeding into Obito's eye was abruptly shut off. And now that eye was throbbing worse than it had back when he'd been in the hands of the Akatsuki.

Unfortunately he had a pretty good idea of just what had happened. After all, he'd had chakra seals placed on him enough times in the past that he knew just what that sudden cut off meant. Someone on the outside had found his body and placed at least one major chakra seal on him. By the feel of it, it was at least jonin level...perhaps even Kage level.

Basically, Kakashi's desperate situation had just become far more dangerous. Without access to his chakra, he was going to find it that much harder to fight back against the Kyuubi. Meanwhile, he couldn't be sure of just how long he'd been trapped within the demon's grasp, which meant that he had no idea how long it had been since the last time Neji had unblocked his chakra points. The longest he'd gone without having the Hyuga's assistance had been two days, and the level of pain he'd felt made it clear that he shouldn't go that long ever again.

A wave of hot breath rolled over him, and a moment later he felt one of the Kyuubi's claws pushing his chin up. _"I see that you are still full of surprises, Brat. But you'll find it all useless in the end. Your fate was sealed the moment White Fang ended his life."_

Kakashi pushed down the despair that was starting to take hold and concentrated on the Demon-fox's words. "If that's true, then why wait until now to make your move? My Father died when I was six. Any claim you feel you have on me should have been acted on long before now."

The fox leaned closer. _"I would have been there that very day if it hadn't been for those idiots from Whirlpool getting involved in things that weren't any of their business!"_

Kakashi allowed a small smile to stretch across hips lips. "So _that's_ why Kushina tried to convince Minato-sensei not to take me on as a student. She knew what you wanted!"

The growl was enough to tell him that he'd guessed correctly, even before the words that followed it. _"She tried to keep you away from me. But it didn't work! And now, thanks to her son, you'll finally be mine!"_

Kakashi laughed at the Kyuubi. "You can't be serious...Naruto may not be the brightest shinobi out there...but that kid will realize what you're up to sooner or later."

The beast leaned back on his haunches and smiled at him. The light within their prison glinted off the fox's fangs. _"Ah, but you forget one very important thing about that boy."_

"And just what might that be, Fox?"

"_There is one thing that the boy has always wanted that only I can give him."_

"What are you talking about?"

"_Think about it, Brat. What's the one thing that kid has salivated for since the moment he learned about it?"_

Kakashi narrowed his eyes at the beast as the answer came to him. "Being Hokage."

The Kyuubi ran his tongue along his teeth. _"You always were the bright child. I've offered him the best chance at that ridiculous title simply by helping me get you. We both know that the Elders of Konoha will surely try to keep the boy out of that office. I simply told him that my very first task would be to use your innumerable skills to remove those old fools from the equation once and for all. After that, I'll go through the motions of grooming the fool to be the next Hokage. After that, you and I will leave that ridiculous village once and for all."_

Kakashi had to admit that the plan was a sound one. In fact, he honestly couldn't find fault in the idea at all. By eliminating the Elders, most of the resistance to Naruto becoming Hokage would be gone. It frightened him that the beast had actually taken the time to think this through so thoroughly. And, not for the first time since this nightmare began, Kakashi was starting to think that there was no way for him to keep the Kyuubi's plans from coming to fruition.

The Kyuubi's hot breath washed over him once more. _"What's wrong, Brat? Are you finally seeing the truth of my words? Perhaps you'd like to surrender know and avoid the wait?"_

Kakashi growled low in his throat. "I know Naruto far better than you do, Beast. That boy has the ability to change peoples' views on life. I've witnessed it too many times to think that he will be so easily duped by the likes of you! I trust Naruto will do what's right in the end."

"_We'll see soon enough who is right about the boy. Then you and I will start your own training for what's to come."_

Kakashi wanted to continue holding tight to his faith in Naruto, but the surety behind the Kyuubi's words admittedly made him begin to feel the first hint of doubt creep into his mind. And once there, that doubt grew until, for the first time in his life, Kakashi thought that perhaps he wasn't going to find a way out of this mess. He closed his eyes and tried his best to block out the insane laughter of the beast as it filled the cavernous space of Naruto's mind.


End file.
